Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Secret
by chadsgirl824
Summary: YEAR SEVEN Harry's 7th year at Hogwart's, and the hardest he's yet to face. New enemies and tough challenges await him, as well as the discovery of incredible new powers. Written PRIOR to OoTP
1. Chapter 1

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat and pulled out his watch yet again. He was waiting in Dumbledore's office for him and Sirius, who had been gone over 6 hours, and he was beginning to worry that something had gone wrong. It had only been a week since Dumbledore had met with Mr. Thurston, who was currently serving as temporary Minister of Magic, to discuss what had really happened between Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew almost 16 years ago.  
  
From what Harry had been told about the meeting, Thurston was less than eager to even consider that Sirius wasn't guilty, but he had too much opposition from other members of the Ministry, mostly due to Arthur Weasley. Arthur had more support than Thurston had expected, and since he is only acting Minister of Magic, he did not have the authority to override them. His few followers, which included Percy Weasley, paled compared to Arthur's.  
  
Harry had been quite surprised to hear this considering the last time he had seen Thurston and Mr. Weasley together, Thurston seemed to have a stronger following. But apparently, the people he brought with him that day, were pretty much the only ones who were behind him. Therefore, he had agreed to see Sirius today, and requested that the body of Pettigrew be brought as well. He had tried to say that a dead body would prove nothing, but was again overridden.  
  
They were lucky they still had Peter's body, which strangely looked the same as it had on the day he died. Harry could only guess that it must be because of the knowledge still held within him. Tytros had apparently done as he said he would, and spoke to Forden about letting them hold onto it until Sirius' name was cleared, and Forden had come to speak with Dumbledore about it. Harry hadn't been told anything about that meeting, except that they could keep Peter until after today. Sirius was grateful for this, though he still didn't trust Tytros and Harry felt much the same. It was too hard to forget how he had tricked Harry, and almost cost him his life, only a few weeks ago.  
  
Harry was stirred out of these thoughts however when he heard a noise behind him. He jumped out of his chair and spun around to see Dumbledore come into the office.  
  
"What happened? You've been gone so long!" he exclaimed. Then he began looking past him anxiously. "Where's Sirius?" He couldn't bare the thought that Sirius may have been found guilty and sent back to prison.  
  
"Calm down Harry, he's alright." Dumbledore said smiling.  
  
"Then.then everything's okay? He's free?" Harry said in excitement.  
  
"I will let him tell you. He wants you to meet him outside."  
  
Harry smiled widely and left the office in a hurry. He ran through the halls at top speed until he came to the school entrance. When he pushed the doors open, he immediately spotted Sirius standing by the lake. It was a beautiful day and the sun was sparkling on the water. A wonderful breeze ruffled through Harry's hair as he trotted over to his godfather.  
  
Sirius turned as he heard Harry approaching and for a moment, the two of them just stood a few feet away, looking at each other. Then Sirius' face broke out in a large smile, he nodded once. Harry's heart leaped with joy! He knew; Sirius was free! There would be no more hiding away from people and no more traveling in his animagus form. Harry couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy or excited. He ran forward and gave his godfather a fierce hug. When they pulled apart, he noticed that Sirius' eyes were glassy, like he had been crying, but he knew these weren't tears of sadness. Neither of them spoke, they stood in silence for a few minutes looking out over the lake. Sirius broke the silence first.  
  
"I have something I want to ask you."  
  
Harry looked at him, waiting.  
  
"I know I've mentioned this once already, a little over three years ago, but since so much time has passed I want to ask again. Would you consider.coming to live with me?"  
  
"Yes!" Harry answered without hesitation. He had wanted this since Sirius had first asked him all those years ago. It seemed like ages now, but he wanted it just as badly. "I would love to come live with you."  
  
Sirius smiled and it looked like he might cry again, but he didn't, just sat there with a big silly grin on his face.  
  
"We're going to have to get the house.prepared first," Sirius continued. "Similar to how everything was set up for you at the Dursley's. Then when everything is ready we can move you in."  
  
"Will there be another Secret Keeper?" Harry asked nervously, remembering Mrs. Figg. It was impossible for him not to feel guilty when he remembered her, or anyone else that had died because Voldemort was after him.  
  
"Yes," Sirius answered quietly. "I'm afraid it's necessary for your protection."  
  
"Who will it be?" Harry asked.  
  
"Don't worry about that now," Sirius said quickly, then stood up. "I have to start getting everything ready and let Dumbledore know that you will be coming with me. I'll be leaving tonight but I'll be back for you in about a week, okay?"  
  
Harry stood up with him, feeling as if this were the best day of his life. He had never had a place he considered a real home. The Dursley's house felt like a prison, the Burrow was nice to visit, and he loved Hogwart's, but nothing had ever been someplace he could call home. He nodded at Sirius and the two of them walked back to the school together.  
  
When they were inside, Sirius set off for Dumbledore's office, and Harry went to the great hall. As he hadn't eaten all day waiting upstairs, he felt nearly famished. He noticed that some of the Slytherins that had to take their exams over the summer were there, so he quickly grabbed some food from his table and headed back for the door. He felt very uncomfortable being in the same room alone with them, as Malfoy had told them that Harry had been the one who turned them in and they were less than pleased with him.  
  
He glanced over his shoulder once more before stepping through the door, where he crashed head on with Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Why don't you watch where you're going Potter?" Malfoy spat at him standing up quickly and wiping food off his robes. Harry didn't say anything, he just picked up whatever he thought he could still eat and stood up, and was surprised to see Draco still standing there.  
  
"Yes?" he asked impatiently.  
  
"You're in my way," Draco replied icily.  
  
Harry just rolled his eyes. It's not as if there weren't room for him to step around. He moved to the side and walked past Malfoy, heading back to his tower. But he hadn't gotten even five feet when he heard Malfoy speak again. "How did you get away?"  
  
Harry turned to face him, suspiciously.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked in a low voice.  
  
"I know where they took you.my father and the others. How did you get away?"  
  
"Why do you care?" Harry asked. "You certainly didn't seem to care that they took me in the first place, or you would've gotten help instead of staying quiet so what difference does it make now?"  
  
"I don't care," Malfoy said disgustedly. "Not about you. If you're not gonna answer then fine, just say so. Besides I'd take my father's side any day over yours."  
  
"So I've noticed. You don't care what's right just that it's what your father wants you to do."  
  
"If it was your father you'd do the same."  
  
"No I wouldn't. Not if he wanted me to endanger someone else's life. Besides my father wouldn't have done that," Harry replied.  
  
"How would you even know?" Malfoy sneered. "Your father's dead." Harry just glared at him in hatred.  
  
"Portkey, I got away using a portkey," he said, then turned and stalked off down the hall.  
  
Harry was fuming as he walked back to his tower. How dare Malfoy even speak about his father that way! And why did he want to know how he'd gotten away? Wouldn't his father have told him, as he knew so much already? Then another thought occurred to him. How much did Malfoy really know? Had he been told everything that was going on, or just what his father.or Voldemort wanted him to know. Harry had to consider the possibility that Draco might be being used against him, whether he knew it or not.  
  
When he was in the common room at last, he sat down to have dinner; his thoughts drifted back to a few weeks ago and his recent run in with Voldemort. He had been lucky yet again, but he wondered when the time would come that his luck would run out.  
  
Then there was the spell he had witnessed, with that horrible red snake-like creature. Voldemort had said that he would become invincible that night, but Harry thought the spell was just to extract his blood from him. He wished he could ask someone about it, but he knew the only person who might be able to answer his question would be a Zlam, and he was in no rush to speak with any of them.  
  
When he finished his dinner, he went upstairs to his dormitory, and was surprised to see a large gray owl on his bed with a letter tied to his leg. He grabbed his moneybag, which was painfully light at this point since he hadn't been to Gringott's in almost a year, and handed him a few knuts before untying the letter. The bird squawked once before jumping up in a flurry of feathers and zooming out the window.  
  
Harry sat down on the edge of his bed and ripped open the letter, he couldn't believe it when he looked down and saw that it was from Hagrid! He hadn't heard from him in over a year and was wondering what had been happening. Dumbledore had assured him several times that Hagrid was okay, but wouldn't say anything else. He scanned the letter quickly and found that Hagrid would be returning to Hogwart's for the year and would be teaching Care of Magical Creatures again. He made no mention of what he had been up to for the past two years, just said he would speak to Harry when he arrived and not to send a response.  
  
Harry sighed happily. For the first time in a while things seemed to be going right and he wanted it to continue. He went over to the window and stared outside at the beautiful pink and gold sunset, wishing his contended feeling would last forever.  
  
That week went by slower than anything for Harry, as he was eager for Sirius to return to get him. He was glad, for the first time in his life, to be leaving Hogwart's. He spent the week mostly in the Gryffindor tower, as he didn't want to be anywhere near the Slytherins and either read books on quidditch or polished his Firebolt. When the weekend came, Harry was fully packed and ready to go by the time Sirius came through the portrait hole. He looked at Harry with all his things in the common room and smiled.  
  
"Anxious to leave are you? I thought you liked it here," he said with a laugh.  
  
"I do," Harry said quickly, "but I've been here for a full year now, and the summers are a bit dull with no one around."  
  
"Well you have all those nice Slytherin boys." Sirius began, playfully. "You try spending time with a group of guys that look at you like they want you dead and tell me how it feels."  
  
"I know how that feels, I got that a lot when I was here. So did your father as I recall. One of those glares was always from Severus Snape too."  
  
"I believe it," Harry said, thinking of how Snape usually looked at him. "So, are we going then?" he asked eagerly. Sirius grinned and nodded at him, they both lifted the trunk with the rest of Harry's things piled on top and headed out into the hall.  
  
"We're going to Dumbledore's office," Sirius said as they walked. "He's having a passage opened for us to use floo powder from his fireplace, like he did to get you here last year."  
  
Harry just nodded at him, when they reached the office after having lugged everything up the stairs; they found Dumbledore waiting for them.  
  
"Everything is ready?" he asked Sirius.  
  
"Yes, it's all set. Just as you told us."  
  
"Very good," Dumbledore replied nodding, then he turned to Harry. "Enjoy the rest of your summer Harry. I look forward to seeing you in September."  
  
"I will. Thank you, for letting me go with Sirius," Harry said sincerely. Dumbledore again just nodded and smiled at the two of them.  
  
Sirius grabbed some floo powder from his jacket pocket and together he and Harry moved to the fire, he threw some of it and they stepped in. Harry felt the spinning sensation as they were whisked away to Sirius' house.  
  
When they landed finally, they both had to catch their balance quickly to keep from toppling forward and spilling all of Harry's belongings. When they were both a few feet from the fireplace, the put down the trunk and Harry looked around. Everything was the same as last year, but somehow it looked, cozier. Much more like a home than a hideout. There were pictures up now, and the kitchen had a full set up, rather than just the rickety table and chair that had been there last time.  
  
"Well," Sirius said, "let's take your things up to your room, then you can explore all you want."  
  
Harry was ecstatic. His own room! Not one that was just a storage space for Dudley's old things, or a cupboard. And while he loved the dorms at Hogwart's, it wasn't his own room. When they got upstairs to where the bedrooms were, he was surprised to see that the few belongings he had that he left at the Dursley's were there. He looked at Sirius questioningly.  
  
"Remus and I stopped by your aunt and uncle's house two days ago and picked these up for you. If there's anything missing tell us as we told them we'd return if they lied to us about what was actually yours," he said smiling, devilishly. Harry was grinning just thinking about how the Dursley's must've reacted, he almost wished he'd been there to see it.  
  
"No, I'm sure nothing's missing. Actually I think you have some stuff here that isn't mine," Harry said, looking around.  
  
"Well, whatever it is they can always get a new one," Sirius said nonchalantly. "We would have taken you with us, but it isn't safe for you to be at that house right now."  
  
"I understand. I wasn't in any rush to see them anyway, as long as they'll be safe. They will be, right?" Harry asked not so sure all of a sudden.  
  
"Voldemort isn't after your relatives, and he knows you don't care for them so using them against you probably isn't something he's planning on," Sirius replied looking at Harry. "Don't worry about it, they'll be fine."  
  
Harry nodded at him, hoping he was right. It was true he didn't like the Dursley's but he didn't want anyone else to be hurt or killed because of him.  
  
"I'm going to head downstairs and make us some lunch while you get settled in up here. Then I'll show you the rest of the house," Sirius said. He walked over to the door and just before he walked out he turned to Harry once more. "Welcome home," he said, smiling, then turned again and left the room.  
  
Harry didn't need to spend any time at all getting used to calling this house his home, it had felt that way since he first arrived. He spent much of his time with Sirius talking about quidditch and school, but most of all, his parents. Harry loved to hear any stories that Sirius would share with him about what his parents were like in school and all the pranks they pulled on Snape. It made him feel closer to them in a way.  
  
They didn't go out much as Sirius was still a bit leery that people wouldn't accept the fact that he wasn't a murderer too quickly. But Harry didn't mind, he just wanted to spend as much time as possible with his godfather and it didn't matter to him where they spent that time.  
  
He really wanted to show his friends the house and asked Sirius if he could invite them over at some point during the summer.  
  
"They're already coming, I've invited them for your birthday," Sirius told him.  
  
"When were you going to tell me?" Harry asked suspiciously.  
  
"I just did, didn't I?" he replied, grinning.  
  
Harry just shook his head and laughed to himself.  
  
On the night before his birthday, he stayed up late as he usually did, he wasn't expecting presents from his friends as he knew they were coming that day, but it was sort of like a tradition for him now. One owl did show up, about ten minutes after he was 17, and it had his school letter. He read over it quickly and decided to take a closer look tomorrow, then went to bed.  
  
Harry woke up much earlier than he intended however, he was jolted out of sleep by a very sudden pain that filled his head. He knew immediately that it wasn't his scar, but couldn't even think of what else might be causing it when it suddenly vanished. Harry raised his head slowly and opened his eyes, which were burning. He tried rubbing at them, but it only made it worse, so he stopped, hoping the feeling would cease.  
  
When it finally faded, he blinked a few times before looking around the room. He noticed it was almost quarter after five in the morning, too early to get up. For a moment he was tempted to wake Sirius and tell him what had happened, but decided against it. I can't just run to him every time I get a headache, he thought. He laid back down again, pushing the covers down, as he was very hot now, and closed his eyes. If it happened again, he decided, then he would tell Sirius.  
  
It was only a few minutes before he was sleeping soundly, as if nothing had happened.  
  
Later on that morning, Harry felt himself being shaken awake, lightly. He rolled over onto his back and saw Sirius standing over him.  
  
"Happy Birthday!" he said excitedly. Harry smiled; his godfather's expression was similar to that of a small child on Christmas morning. He supposed it was for the same reason he himself was excited, Sirius had never been able to see Harry on his birthdays until this one.  
  
"Hey," Harry replied, "thanks!" He glanced down and saw that Sirius had a large tray with him. It was filled with all of Harry's favorite breakfast foods and the wonderful aroma was making his mouth water. Sirius held up the tray and moved it towards Harry. "I thought breakfast in bed would be nice, since I don't think you've ever had the pleasure before," he said gently placing the tray down.  
  
"No, not unless you count the few days when the Dursley's gave me cold soup once a day and wouldn't let me leave the room." Harry laughed at the memory now, though at the time he had been pretty scared.  
  
"I certainly do not count that, horrid muggles," Sirius muttered. "Well are you going to eat, or let it get cold?" he asked.  
  
"Want some?" Harry asked seeing the overwhelming amount of food in front of him. It would've been enough for three of him. Sirius grabbed a piece of bacon and the two of them ate together, chatting about what they would do when everyone arrived.  
  
When he was finished, Harry got out of bed to get ready and Sirius took the tray downstairs. When he had just finished getting dressed, he went to the door and went down. No sooner had he stepped into the living room then the fire in the fireplace turned a bright emerald green, and Ron half stepped, half fell forward out of the hearth.  
  
"Ron!" Harry said smiling.  
  
"Oy! Harry! Happy Birthday!" Ron said, then quickly jumped out of the way as the fire had turned green again, Hermione stepped gracefully into the room. Soon all of the Weasleys had arrived and they all were carrying a package of some sort.  
  
"I'm so excited you guys could come," Harry said after saying hello to all of them, I can't wait to show you the house!" He was about to pull his friends upstairs and let Sirius entertain Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, when there was another flash of green in the fireplace. Harry's jaw dropped in surprise when Cho stepped into the room.  
  
"Harry!" she exclaimed happily spotting him immediately and walking over.  
  
"I didn't know you were coming!" he said, amazed, then looked to Sirius, who was grinning. "You didn't think I'd ask your girlfriend to come?" he asked. Harry just smiled at him, then turned back to Cho. The two of them embraced for a moment, but Harry felt a little uncomfortable doing anything else in front of everyone.  
  
"I'm glad you're here," he said. "C'mon upstairs with us, I'll show you around!"  
  
Harry, Cho, Ron, Hermione and Ginny left the adults to talk and headed up to see the rest of the house.  
  
Harry took his friends around upstairs. He showed them the guestrooms and where the girls would be staying, then told Ron they'd be moving another bed into his room for him to sleep in. He showed them his own room, which still didn't have much in it besides what he took to Hogwart's with him, as he and Sirius hadn't gone out much. He did have the few things, that used to be Dudley's, which Sirius and Remus had grabbed accidentally, but they were mostly just some of his old broken games. Ron thought they were the weirdest things he had ever seen, and was particularly intrigued by one of them. He picked it up and started turning it over in his hands, looking at it intently.  
  
"What is it, what does it do?" he asked finally, looking at Harry in confusion. Harry held in a laugh, as he didn't want to make Ron feel bad.  
  
"It's called a Rubik's Cube," he said. "And it doesn't do anything. You mix up the squares so the colors don't match anymore, then you try and put them back in order."  
  
"That's it? Nothing comes out of it, it doesn't open or anything?" Ron asked.  
  
"That's it. Though I don't know if that one would be any good anymore," Harry said looking skeptically at the battered cube. Dudley had gotten completely frustrated with it some time ago and decided to just rip the colors off and paste them on again so they matched. Most of them were now ripped, peeling or completely gone.  
  
After they had gone through the upstairs, they headed back down to the kitchen.  
  
"Harry, let's go into the den," Sirius said getting up from his seat, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood up as well.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked.  
  
"I though we should open your presents now, before dinner."  
  
Harry smiled at him and turned back towards the den. When everyone was sitting down and Harry had a pile of packages in front of him, he started to go through them. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given him a sweater that she knitted, and they also had brought a cake for later. Harry laughed at the thought that he could probably open a sweater shop with all the old ones that didn't fit him anymore. They would all be the same color and style, as Mrs. Weasley didn't ever change what she used for each of them, but he still loved the fact that she cared enough to do this for him. He thanked both of them, and went to the next package.  
  
Harry opened the next gift and saw a long, bright yellow box, with no markings on it. He glanced around the room, not knowing who this was from, then slowly lifted the lid of the box. Inside there was a note.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Happy Birthday! We're both very busy right now and we couldn't make it there today, but we'll see you soon. Bring this box with you to Diagon Alley when you come for your school supplies. Ron will show you where to go.  
  
Fred and George  
  
Harry looked at Ron questioningly, and he just smiled back. He decided not to ask anything now, though, as Mrs. Weasley appeared to be frowning at the box. He just set it aside and picked up the next package. He knew immediately it was from Ron because, like his mother, the present was usually the same each year. But that was okay because Harry loved Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs. He knew Ron loved to give him these because Harry always shared them with him too.  
  
The next gift was from Hermione. Harry opened a very meticulously wrapped box and slid the lid off. Inside was a large, leather bound book with Strategies written on the front in block letters. When he opened it he saw the first page was labeled Chasers, and it was filled with people in quidditch robes, of all different heights and weights. This went on for three pages, then there were two pages of beaters and a page of seekers. The next few pages contained different quidditch maneuvers and explanations for each of them. When he got to the end, there was a quidditch field spread out over two pages, but it was completely empty of players. There were two bludgers, a quaffle and a snitch off to the side. He looked up at Hermione, not wanting to insult her, but not quite sure what how to use the book.  
  
She looked at him in amusement, as if she had expected this and moved closer to him, pulling out her wand.  
  
"Watch," she said. She took her wand and quickly touched the tip of it to three of the chasers, two beaters, and a seeker. Then did the same thing all over again. When she flipped to the last page, it was now showing two full quidditch teams on their brooms in the air. The bottom of the left page said Team A and the right said Team B.  
  
"Now, touch your wand to Team A, then pick out a maneuver you want to use, then give it to Ron," she said, "You do the same for team B," she continued, looking at Ron. Harry and Ron did as they were told, then flipped to the back of the book again. An actual game was playing out and the teams were performing the moves both of them had chosen.  
  
"You can use it to see what the plays will look like ahead of time, and see what defenses work best," Harry said, figuring it out. This was fantastic! He looked up at Hermione smiling largely.  
  
"Thank you!" he said happily. She smiled back at him.  
  
"Glad you like it."  
  
"Like it? I love it! Do you know how much this will help when we're practicing this year? It's great!" Harry said excitedly. He didn't mention the fact that he had no idea if there was going to be quidditch this year, after what happened last year. He gingerly placed the book on the table next to his seat and picked up the last package.  
  
He picked up the last package, and turned it over in his hands, before tearing the paper off. He pulled the lid off the tiny box and peered inside, suddenly a flash of gold flew out of the box, and hovered in front of him. Harry gasped as he saw it was a golden snitch. He stared at it in amazement until suddenly it zoomed across the room Harry stood up to go after it but before he could take a step, Cho snatched it from the air, and handed it to him.  
  
"Look at that, I finally beat you to the snitch," she said playfully. He just beamed at her. This was so wonderful. He wouldn't have to practice with apples or rocks any longer; he had his own snitch. She handed it back to him and he grasped her hand as she did so, he didn't care who was around this time. He pulled her close to him and kissed her. When they finally separated, Harry noticed that Sirius had a lopsided grin on his face, and Cho was glowing.  
  
"Thank you, I love it," he whispered to her. Before she could answer there was a noise near the hearth, everyone looked to see the flames had turned green, and not five seconds later, Lupin stepped out.  
  
"Am I in time?" he said looking quickly to Sirius.  
  
"Just," he replied. Lupin smiled then looked around the room. He said hello to everyone and then turned to Harry.  
  
"Happy birthday Harry. Sorry I couldn't be here earlier but I had a few things to take care of."  
  
"That's okay Remus, glad you could come. I didn't even know you were gonna be here." "Well I had to see your face when we gave you OUR present," Lupin answered. He looked at Sirius who nodded, then turned and headed for the stairs.  
  
Harry looked after Sirius, then questioningly at Lupin. "Should I be scared?" he asked, knowing the two of them had a very high tendency to pull pranks. They were like older versions of Fred and George. Lupin just shook his head at Harry, grinning.  
  
When Sirius came back downstairs, Harry instantly recognized the shape of the package.  
  
"You see now why I couldn't leave it lying there with the others? Much too obvious." He walked over to Harry and handed it to him. "Happy birthday from Remus and I."  
  
Harry ripped the paper away to reveal a brand new racing broom; the handle read 'Moontrimmer 800'  
  
"Moontrimmer?" Ron asked. "I didn't think the made those anymore."  
  
"It's true they stopped for a while," Remus began, "but they've started producing them again and this is the latest model. It can reach speeds that match the Firebolt, and is just as easy, if not easier, to maneuver. But it can reach incredible heights faster than any broom out there. The diving capabilities are amazing as well. The best part is, these aren't even on the market yet."  
  
"How did you get it then?" Harry asked, still staring at the amazing broom. Remus smirked.  
  
"I ran into Ludo Bagman at the ministry. It just so happens he owes me from something that happened between us a long time ago, something that we won't get into now. He offered me a chance to get one of these before they go on sale in a few weeks, at a discounted price."  
  
"All of the professional leagues are already after these, it's going to take the place of the Firebolt as the International Standard," Sirius said.  
  
"Thank you, both of you," Harry said. "I don't know what else to say, I can't believe all of this!" He looked back and forth from Sirius to Remus, then to everyone in the room. This was without a doubt, the best birthday he'd ever had.  
  
"You don't have to say anything, just seeing your face is enough thanks for me," Sirius said. "Now, who wants dinner?"  
  
When dinner was over, and they all had had some cake, Harry wanted to go try out his new broom, and practice with the snitch. Since there was a nice open area behind the house, which was far from muggle eyes, Sirius was fine with that idea. He also told them it would be okay if they wanted to use his broom. Harry ran upstairs, grabbed his Firebolt, then into Sirius' room to grab his Tinderblast, then back downstairs.  
  
The five of them headed for the back, and stepped out into the cool summer breeze. It was still early evening so they had a couple hours of daylight left and Harry didn't want to waste any of it. He handed his Firebolt to Ron, who was looking at it eagerly, and Cho said Ginny could use the Tinderblast first as Hermione seemed utterly uninterested in participating. The two girls sat down in the lush grass as the other three mounted their brooms.  
  
When Harry kicked off, he felt the familiar exhilaration that he got every time he flew, rushing back to him. The Moontrimmer was magnificent; he glided through the air and made a few laps around the area. Ron and Ginny were doing the same, Ron clearly enjoying the way the Firebolt handled.  
  
Cho let the snitch out after a few minutes and the three of them began searching for it. Harry was the one to catch it every time, though, and after a while he went back down to the ground. Cho and Hermione took turns as well, and everyone kept switching brooms so they all got a chance on the Moontrimmer. When it finally began to get dark, the five friends headed back inside.  
  
"You looked good out there," Sirius said.  
  
"Watching us, were you?" Harry asked, smiling.  
  
"Of course, I had to see how that broom handled," Sirius replied. He left out that he didn't like for Harry to be out of his sight right now, no matter how many people he was with.  
  
"Harry, dear," Mrs. Weasley began stepping forward. "I wish we could stay longer but it's time Arthur and I headed home." She came up to him and pulled him into a strong hug, he hugged her back. "Happy Birthday dear," she said as she pulled away from him.  
  
Harry looked at her and was shocked when he saw tears in her eyes, he couldn't think of anything that might have happened to make her cry.  
  
"Thank you, both of you, for everything," he said looking back and forth between the two of them. Mrs. Weasley wiped her eyes quickly, then moved towards Ron and Ginny.  
  
"The two of you behave yourselves and do whatever Mr. Black tell you too, got it?" she said sternly.  
  
"Mum, c'mon, you know we will," Ron said rolling his eyes. She looked like she might reprimand him, but instead turned and headed back to Mr. Weasley. The two of them took floo powder back to the Burrow.  
  
"Well, I better be going too," Remus said after the Weasleys left. "I have a few things I need to do, but I'm so glad I made it in time today," he said smiling. "Happy Birthday, Harry! Don't get into too much trouble before school starts, got it?"  
  
"I don't plan on it, though with Sirius around." Harry trailed off grinning. Sirius looked at him, seeming insulted, but knowing Harry was only joking.  
  
Remus said goodbye to everyone and told Sirius he would speak with him soon, then took out some floo powder and stepped into the fireplace. Sirius then turned to Harry and his friends.  
  
"I'm sure you want to spend more time with your friends, and you can see me everyday, so I don't mind if you want to go upstairs now."  
  
Harry smiled at Sirius, he did actually want to hang out with the others right now, but he wanted to talk with his godfather first.  
  
"Guys, I'll meet you upstairs, in my room, okay?" he asked looking at them. They nodded and said goodnight to Sirius, before heading up. Harry then turned back around.  
  
"What was wrong with Mrs. Weasley? She looked very upset just before she left."  
  
Sirius looked at him for a moment before answering.  
  
"Percy has left home, on some bad terms. She's very worried about him, as is Arthur."  
  
"What do you mean? Did they say why he left?" Harry asked anxiously, remembering how uncomfortable he felt last time he was with Percy. Sirius sighed.  
  
"Percy has graduated, and has a job that will allow him to provide for himself, but he still has a lot to learn. He's making rash decisions and basing them only on what his superiors at the ministry will think of him for it. It seems his position there now comes before his family, and Arthur confronted him about it a short while ago. I don't know all the details of what happened, and I didn't feel it was my place to ask, but Percy ended up moving out. They still don't know where he is, he hasn't sent any word."  
  
"Wow," Harry said in shock. "I had no idea it was that bad."  
  
"Well, as I said, Percy is old enough to take care of himself, and to decide which path to take. I only wish he hadn't chosen this one. I'm not very fond of the Ministry of Magic, and the ministers he seems to have aligned himself with, are the stubborn, old-fashioned ones. People like that being in charge makes it very hard to get anything useful accomplished." He glanced at Harry who still looked a bit surprised. "Don't worry yourself over it, he will be fine. And Arthur will be able to keep up on him, if only through work. Hopefully he'll come around and start speaking with his parents again."  
  
"I hope so, I can't understand why anyone would want to leave their home, or their parents. It doesn't make any sense to me," Harry said, shaking his head.  
  
"I'm sure to you it doesn't," Sirius replied. "But let's not talk about that now. I want you to enjoy the rest of your birthday and your friends are upstairs waiting for you." Harry nodded, he said goodnight to Sirius and thanked him again for the whole day. It had really been a wonderful day for him. He turned around and headed upstairs.  
  
"So, what was up?" Ron asked as Harry walked in.  
  
"Oh nothing, just wanted to check with him on some things we had planned to do tomorrow, since I probably won't see him for the rest of tonight," Harry lied. He wanted to talk to Ron about Percy, but not with everyone there.  
  
"Plans?" Cho asked. "I thought Sirius wasn't too anxious to leave the house yet."  
  
"Well, he doesn't like to but some things can't be helped. I mean, we need to eat, don't we?" Harry said, plopping down on his bed next to her. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were on the other bed that Sirius and Remus must have moved in there while they were out.  
  
"Have you heard anything from your aunt and uncle?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Nope," Harry said casually, "not that I mind. This has been the first summer that I haven't seen them at all, and so far it's been the best one. I'm so glad this worked out the way it did, I love Hogwart's and all, but I didn't want to spend another summer there."  
  
"Yeah, especially with the Slytherins there for their exams," Ginny said, laughing.  
  
"Exactly, just the few weeks I was there were a little tense. I didn't really see them except for at mealtimes, but I wouldn't stay in the same room with a group of them and no one else. I basically lived in the tower. Though I did run into Malfoy once," Harry said. He looked around and saw they were all looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. So he told them about the conversation between the two of them.  
  
"That slimy git!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"He knew where you were the whole time, and didn't tell anyone?" Hermione asked incredulously.  
  
"This surprises you?" Harry asked them. "You know he's probably a death eater in training."  
  
"Harry, you have to stay far from him this year, he must be working with them to try to get you," Ginny spoke up. Harry actually laughed out loud at that.  
  
"Did I give any of you the impression I would be hanging out with him? When do I ever not try to avoid Malfoy? Whenever I see him at school it's usually with a swarm of people around anyway, I doubt he'd try anything then."  
  
"Well he got to you last year, didn't he?" Hermione asked pointedly.  
  
"That's just it though, I don't think he knew originally about what his father was planning."  
  
"What makes you say that?" Cho asked. Harry thought for a moment before answering, remembering back to the night of their duel.  
  
"The look on his face," he answered at last. "If you had seen him when Lucius used the Cruciatus Curse on me.Malfoy just looked, well.shocked. That's the only way to describe it, really. Like he had no idea that was going to happen." They were all silent for a few moments, considering this. Finally Hermione broke the silence.  
  
"What you have to realize though, is that no matter what he thought was going to happen, he still didn't help you when he knew you were in danger. He never went to Dumbledore, or anyone else. He ignored it."  
  
Harry stared at her; he had been thinking the same thing just then. He just hadn't wanted to say it. He leaned back on the bed and sighed.  
  
"Let's not talk about this now, please?" he said quietly.  
  
"Of course," Cho said quickly.  
  
"We're sorry Harry, it's just." Hermione began. But she stopped after seeing Cho give her a very pointed look.  
  
"What shall we do, then?" Ginny asked, trying to sound cheerful.  
  
"Exploding Snap?" Ron suggested, grinning. Harry sat back up.  
  
"Definitely. Haven't played that in a while," he said, smiling again. Ron nodded, and stood up to get the deck.  
  
After several games they realized it was now very late. Ginny had started yawning first and it quickly spread around the room.  
  
"Well, I guess I'm gonna head to bed," Hermione said finally. Ginny and Cho nodded in agreement. Ginny hurried out of the room while Harry and Ron said goodnight to their girlfriends. When the girls had all gone to their room, the two boys got changed.  
  
"So," Harry said casually. "What's new with your family?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, stiffly. Harry could tell by the tone in his voice Ron knew what he was referring to.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked his friend.  
  
"Never been better," Ron answered too quickly. "Percy was always whining or complaining about one thing or another. It's actually quite peaceful now that he isn't there."  
  
Harry looked at him, and decided not to push the matter.  
  
"Well, if you ever need to talk about it, or anything for that matter, I'll always listen."  
  
Ron laughed a little at that. Harry wasn't sure what it meant, so he just waited.  
  
"I really don't miss him. I miss the old Percy, the one who lived there when he was still in school. Minister Percy is a completely different person, and I can't understand how his job could've changed him so much. My dad's worked there for years and he's still the same."  
  
"Your dad and your brother have very different ideas for what makes a person successful," Harry said, gently.  
  
"I know. Believe me I know," Ron said, looking down. "But Percy has always been that way. Only recently he was not only stuffy and obnoxious, but also downright mean. He would get into terrible arguments with my parents, which was a huge shock because he was always the one to show the most respect to them. I'm not saying the rest of us were always breaking rules, but Percy was the one to tell on us when we did. He always wanted to impress them, and now nothing could be further from the truth." He raised his head and Harry could see he looked confused and hurt.  
  
"There must be a good reason for his behavior," Harry said after a moment, "but I don't know what it is."  
  
"I don't either, only that it started around Christmas time last year, from what Charlie would tell me. He and Bill are the only ones I can find out anything from while I'm at Hogwart's because mum and dad don't want me to know. It's so aggravating when I'm home though, they go around pretending that nothing is wrong, when it's so obvious there's a problem."  
  
"At least your dad might be able to find out what he's up to at work, since they're both at the ministry," Harry said, trying to sound reassuring.  
  
"I know, and that's good. I just want to know what made him act like this in the first place," Ron said looking at his hands. The two of them sat there in silence for a few minutes. Harry wasn't sure what else he could say; he didn't feel it would be right to bring up how Percy had acted towards him last year, it surely wouldn't help anything at this moment. So he just waited, ready to listen to anything his friend wanted to tell him. Finally Ron looked up.  
  
"Let's not talk about this anymore," he said quietly. Harry nodded.  
  
"Sure, anything you want," he replied, he smiled at Ron, who grinned back.  
  
"Well, I guess we should try and get some sleep before the sun comes up," he said looking towards the window. "Happy Birthday Harry."  
  
"Thanks Ron," Harry said, wishing he had more to say to him, but he didn't so he stayed silent. Harry laid awake for a short while listening to Ron tossing restlessly in the other bed, before he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, and drifted off to sleep.  
  
The next morning, while everyone was eating breakfast, Harry, Ron and Hermione decided they would meet in Diagon Alley on August 31st to get all their school supplies. When they finished, Ron, Ginny and Hermione got their things together, said goodbye to Harry, Sirius and Cho, and headed back to the Burrow using floo powder.  
  
Cho stayed a while longer as she hadn't spent any time alone with Harry since she arrived. Sirius left them alone, as long as they stayed in the den.  
  
"So," Harry started, "what have you been up to all summer?"  
  
"Well, I found a wonderful job that I'll be starting next week."  
  
"That's great!" Harry said excitedly. "What will you be doing?"  
  
"Working in the department of Magical Games and Sports for the Ministry of Magic."  
  
Harry was a bit taken back by this.  
  
"For the ministry? You never told me you wanted to work there. I would've thought if you wanted to do something to stay with sports it would be to go professional."  
  
"I thought about it. But you can only do that for so long before you have to retire. This way I have a job that is working with a sport I love and starting when I'm young. I'll be able to move up as a gain experience, rather than wait twenty years and have to start at this point."  
  
"Who says you'd have to work for the ministry after you retire? If you were successful in the professional leagues you might never have to work again. And if you wanted to you could do something a bit more.relaxing," Harry said. Cho just stared at him with a confused expression on her face.  
  
"Harry, this is what I want to do. I'm sorry for not mentioning it to you sooner but we never really talked about this kind of thing. Let's face it, a lot of our discussions last year were about the Zlam, I didn't feel it was the right time to tell you my after school ambitions."  
  
"Oh, so it's my fault?" Harry asked, heatedly.  
  
"I didn't say that!" Cho said looking hurt. "I only meant that it never really came up in our conversations and you weren't too anxious to talk about anything past the end of the school year. I never minded for a second that we didn't though, because what we were forced to discuss was more important to me." She sat back, huffily and her cheeks were all flushed.  
  
Harry leaned towards her, and took her hand in his.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset, it was wrong of me to say that," he said quietly, looking into her eyes. She stared back at him in silence and Harry thought for a moment she was going to turn away, but then she leaned forwards and kissed him softly. When they separated, she looked at him again.  
  
"Why are you so upset about this, anyway? I was pretty excited that I was able to get a position there, I was hoping you would be too," she looked imploringly into his eyes, willing him to be happy for her.  
  
"I'm not upset, I was just surprised because I didn't expect it. I am very happy for you, and wish you all the luck in the world." He gazed into her eyes, and any remnants of anger melted away in that second. He wasn't even sure why he had been angry in the first place; after all, the dept. of Magical Games and Sports couldn't be too bad. He supposed it was just the fact that it was still for the Ministry of Magic, which made him uneasy. He pushed these thoughts from his head though as Cho started to get up.  
  
"I really have to go now, there's so much I need to get done before next week. I'll send you an owl at Hogwart's to let you know how I'm doing, and please send them to me every so often too."  
  
"Absolutely," he said, smiling. "You'll hear everything that happens, I promise."  
  
"That's all I ask," she replied, returning the smile. He carried her bag to the fireplace for her and kissed her again, before she threw the floo powder, and stepped in.  
  
The rest of the summer was mostly uneventful. The two of them mostly had fun together and there was only one low point. Harry had talked Sirius into coming out with him on one particularly beautiful day, and visit Hogsmeade. Sirius hadn't been anyplace really besides out for food, and the idea of a very crowded marketplace sounded very unappealing to him. But Harry's persistence finally paid off and Sirius gave in, but only if they went to the Shrieking Shack first, that way they didn't arrive in the middle of a crowded store. Harry didn't care as long as they went.  
  
When they arrived, Sirius peered cautiously out the windows, checking out all the people. Not too many were in view as most tried to stay far from the Shrieking Shack. Finally, Harry pulled him outside and the two of them began walking towards the main street. But as soon as they neared the Three Broomsticks, a woman nearby let out an ear-splitting scream.  
  
"SIRIUS BLACK!" she screeched then fell, in a dead faint, into the arms of the man beside her.  
  
"She apparently doesn't read the papers," Harry said loudly. He was furious at the woman's ignorance, nevertheless nothing could be done about it now. Everyone on the streets had started moving towards the sound of the scream, to see what was going on. Sirius didn't wait to see what was going to happen, he grabbed Harry's arm and started pulling him back to the Shrieking Shack. Harry didn't fight him; he knew the day would be ruined now.  
  
As they passed a few people Harry would hear bits of their conversations.  
  
"Isn't that Sirius Black?"  
  
"What's he doing here? And who has he got with him?"  
  
"That's Harry Potter! Where is he taking him?"  
  
"Should we get help?"  
  
"I heard he works for You-Know Who! Someone needs to inform the ministry!"  
  
Harry was beyond furious by the time they got back to the Shrieking Shack. He wanted to scream at every person they had passed but Sirius obviously didn't want to be here even a moment longer. They quickly took the floo powder back to their house, and Sirius went up to his room without a word. Harry just stood in the den, not sure what to do. He decided not to bother his godfather right now, and busied himself with starting dinner.  
  
When the last day of August finally arrived, Harry could do nothing at all to persuade Sirius to come with him to Diagon Alley. He had asked Mrs. Weasley if she wouldn't mind watching out for him during the day and she, of course, was more than happy to. Harry tried numerous times to get Sirius to go out again but it wasn't happening, he didn't want a repeat of Hogsmeade. He assured Harry he wasn't upset with him at all, because he felt guilty for making Sirius come out, but he just didn't want to be out in public right now.  
  
So that morning Harry grabbed his money sack and the box Fred and George had told him to bring, and took floo powder to Diagon Alley. He arrived at the Leaky Cauldron to find the Weasleys and Hermione already there. They once again took the nauseating cart ride through the tunnels of Gringott's before emerging back into the wonderful fresh air. Money sacks full, they began the rounds.  
  
Harry and Hermione's robes still fit them fine from the year before as neither of them had grown enough to need adjustments, but Ron had grown just enough over the summer to not be able to get away with it, so they sat in Madam Malkin's while he got the hem taken down.  
  
From there they went to stock up on supplies, parchment, ink, potion ingredients and to get their books. When they were fully bogged down with bags and packages, they stopped at Florean Fortescue's for sundaes. They sat in the radiant sunlight, spooning and then later sipping, the ice cream from their cups. When they were done there, Harry suggested they go over to Zonko's but Ron shook his head.  
  
"There's someplace else we have to check out this year," he said, smiling.  
  
"Really? Where?" Harry asked. He didn't know of another joke shop in the area. Ron beckoned for everyone to follow him, and Mrs. Weasley decided suddenly that she needed new knitting needles, and would meet up with them soon. Ron shook his head in disgust and started walking again. When he stopped in front of a very old building, which Harry had always thought was abandoned, he pointed up above the door. Harry and Hermione looked up to see a sign that read: 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.'  
  
"They did it?" Harry asked in amazement, looking at Ron and Ginny.  
  
"Isn't it wicked?" Ron asked excitedly. "C'mon, let's go in."  
  
When they stepped inside, Harry was in awe of the rows upon rows of practical jokes and pranks, and even more so of the number or people inside. The Weasley Twin's were doing something right because business was booming. The four of them pushed their way to the front of the store, where they saw two cashiers ringing customers up. Ron waved to them as he walked past the counter and through a doorway labeled 'Employees.' Fred and George were in a very large room going through piles of boxes. When they noticed their visitors, they stopped what they were doing.  
  
"Oy, Ron! You would have to pick our busiest day to bring Harry, wouldn't you?" Fred said, pretending to be angry, but smiling anyway.  
  
"Hey, you never gave me a date NOT to come," Ron replied.  
  
"I can't believe you two are doing so well!" Harry exclaimed. "It's amazing out there!"  
  
"Thanks to you," George said, and Fred nodded. "Did you bring the box?"  
  
Harry pulled the long box out of one of his bags and held it up.  
  
"You can fill that with anything you want, it's yours free," Fred said.  
  
"But, that's too much!" Harry said, thinking of all the little prank toys that would fit in the very deep box.  
  
"Harry, you're the reason we have this store, 1000 Galleons was too much to accept, but because of it we've made that back many times over. You fill that up till nothing else will fit, whatever you want, it's yours," Fred said.  
  
Harry was speechless. Not only because of how much that would actually come out to, but because he could never remember seeing Fred and George acting so serious.  
  
"Thank you guys, so much," he said.  
  
"Don't mention it, but please let us get back to work, we have so much to do and we're one person short today."  
  
Harry and the others left the twins to their work, feeling a bit awkward seeing them act so mature. When they were back in the store, Harry looked around, feeling a bit overwhelmed looking at everything.  
  
"I could be here all day." he said quietly.  
  
"Well we don't have all day," Hermione spoke up, finally.  
  
"We could help you pick the stuff out if you like," Ron said. "Ginny and I know the store pretty well by now, we could each take a corner and work our way in. If you trust us to get things you'll like."  
  
"That sounds like the best way," Harry said, looking around again. "And of course I trust you, I'm sure I'd like anything in here."  
  
The four of them grabbed baskets and each went to a different corner. As Harry worked his way through, he found he probably could have filled up the box in his corner alone, so he tried to take the stuff that looked best. It was also a little hard to move around, as the store was so full. At one point he took a step back just as someone was walking behind him, resulting in that person's basket spilling to the floor. Harry turned around quickly, very embarrassed and began to apologize.  
  
The woman never even looked at him, but she was looking around his general direction, appearing confused.  
  
"I said I'm sorry," Harry said louder, bending down to help the woman. There was no need to ignore him. He picked up a few items and threw them into the basket before noticing her looking at them in shock and even fear. Now it was Harry's turn to look confused.  
  
"What's the matter, are you okay?" he asked her. She didn't answer, but instead picked up the basket quickly and ran up to the front of the store, leaving anything she hadn't gotten on the floor. Harry just stared after her, having no idea what just happened. He picked up the things, threw them in his basket and turned around to continue but came to a dead stop before he could take another step.  
  
Tytros was standing right in front of him.  
  
Harry stared at him, unsure if he should go for his wand or not.  
  
"I'm not here to hurt you," Tytros said quickly, "or to try to take you anywhere. I had to come though. I wouldn't have used this charm on you if there weren't so many people in here, but I can't let them see me, and it would've looked strange if I only let you see me. It would've seemed like you were talking to no one."  
  
"Why did you come here then?" Harry asked calmly, keeping eye contact. "You could have waited until we left the store, or until I was out of Diagon Alley even."  
  
"Because this was the only time I had. Voldemort knows now that I am no longer helping him, and as a result he will try to attack the Zlam. Forden wants us to move, to run basically. Some agree with him, while others think it is foolish. We can defeat him, so why act cowardly? Forden does not want to do this because it would seem as though we were siding with you. He is very adamant about interfering with anything humans do; we are not to help you."  
  
"So you came here to tell me this?" Harry asked.  
  
"I felt you should know that no matter what he decides, I will still help you. For the time being I do not want to make my intentions known to him, so this was the only time I had to get away for a while, to find you. But if the final decision of my people is to run, I will not run with them."  
  
Harry looked at Tytros, completely unsure if he should trust him or not. This was the second time he seemed to be telling him this, and both times it started as if he was intending to harm Harry, rather than help him. He decided that it didn't make a difference right now; as long as he could get Tytros to lift the charm he was under.  
  
"Thank you, I appreciate it," he said trying not to sound stiff.  
  
"But you don't believe me." Tytros said. It was not a question. Harry didn't respond, just kept his eyes locked on Tytros'.  
  
"I can understand that. I don't know what I can do at this time to make you believe me, but I assure you I am telling the truth. I will leave you now, your friends will be able to see you as soon as I am out of sight." He started to turn away, when Harry called after him.  
  
"Yes?" he asked.  
  
"I wanted to ask you. That night, at the Riddle house, Voldemort said I would watch him become invincible. I thought the spell he had Wormtail use was just to extract my blood from him, but how would that make him invincible? Was there something else to that spell?"  
  
"The only person who can know that right now is the one with the knowledge. If there is something in the spell that could do that I don't know how he could've found out. The only Zlam who would ever know the answer to that is the one holding the knowledge, and Voldemort didn't speak to our keeper before Corfay got to him, and took the knowledge."  
  
"So how can I find out then? The person with the knowledge right now can't exactly talk to me, seeing as he's dead."  
  
"You will have to wait until our next keeper is ready, and the knowledge is given to him. That is the only way."  
  
Harry sighed to himself. That was something that had been bothering him since that night and it would have been nice to just know the answer. But obviously that wasn't going to happen today. He glanced back up to see Tytros was still looking at him, as if waiting to see if there were anything else.  
  
"Thanks," he said quickly. Tytros nodded, then quickly turned and left the store. Harry looked after him for a moment, before setting off through the crowd to find his friends.  
  
Harry decided not to say anything to his friends about Tytros yet. They hadn't noticed he had been 'missing' since the store was so crowded and they had been in different parts of it anyway, so he pretended like nothing happened for the time being.  
  
After the box was completely full, they walked out to find Mrs. Weasley waiting for them, somewhat impatiently. As they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, Ron explained to Harry and Hermione how his mother thought the twins' store was a waste of time. No matter how successful they seemed to be, she refused to see it that way. This didn't surprise either of them; they remembered how Mrs. Weasley would act when Fred and George were only talking about the store. The fact that they proved her wrong, and became successful, must've been even harder for her. But she would come around, after enough time passed, Ron assured them.  
  
When they were inside they all said goodbye to one another, before taking floo powder back to their homes. Harry told Sirius about everything he had done, and about the twins' birthday present to him, but again left out his meeting with Tytros. He didn't see the reason to get his godfather worked up over something he could do nothing about. Harry wasn't even sure anything needed to be done. So far Tytros hadn't tried anything to hurt him, and he was the reason they were able to keep Wormtail until Sirius had been freed. He decided he would tell Ron and Hermione tomorrow, they would take the news better than Sirius, who thought Tytros should be gutted.  
  
The next morning, Harry got up early and double-checked everything in his trunk to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He ate breakfast with Sirius who spent their time together asking if Harry had remembered everything. Harry didn't mind though, he'd never had anyone doing that for him before.  
  
Sirius had to leave that day as well, but he was going to meet Remus, who had asked for his help with something before he had to get to the school that night. Harry was taking floo powder to the Burrow and from there they would take ministry cars to the train station. He said goodbye to Sirius who assured him they would be seeing each other during the year at some point, and left.  
  
Chaos was ensuing as was usual on September 1st at the Weasley house. But Harry didn't mind, he helped with whatever he could and soon enough they were at the train station and through the barrier. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny found an empty compartment near the back of the train and settled in for the long ride.  
  
About an hour into the ride, after talking about classes and quidditch, Harry brought up what had happened yesterday. "I have something to tell you guys," he said to them. "Something happened yesterday while we were in Fred and George's store."  
  
"You mean besides us almost getting trampled by the heard of people in there? Getting out of the path of stampeding hippogriffs would've been easier than trying to get through that store." Ron joked. But stopped when he realized Harry was being serious.  
  
"Tytros was there yesterday. I talked with him for a few minutes."  
  
"What?" Hermione exclaimed almost jumping out of her seat. "Are you okay? What happened?" she asked anxiously.  
  
Harry told them everything from when the woman he had knocked into couldn't see him until Tytros left.  
  
"So does this mean you trust him?" Ron asked sounding wary.  
  
"I don't know what to think. But if I trusted him I don't believe it would feel like this. Though I don't think I entirely distrust him either."  
  
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Hermione asked, sounding upset.  
  
"Because nothing happened. He came, we talked, he left."  
  
"But he could have done anything to you, even taken you with him, and we never would have known," she continued.  
  
"And he didn't, did he?" Harry asked. "That's why I'm confused. He always seems like he's up to something, but then it never seems that way when he's leaving. That's the way it's been the last couple of times anyway."  
  
"Harry, please don't wait to tell us these things, you should have told us right away! Does Sirius know?"  
  
"No he doesn't. He would have completely freaked and so would've Mrs. Weasley, which is why I didn't mention it to either of them."  
  
Hermione threw him one of her infamous disapproving glares and Harry just rolled his eyes and turned to look out the window. He watched the land fly past him, the further away it was, the better he could see it. But the ground right in front of his face was a giant blur. He kept his gaze out the window, and felt the stares of his friends on him, none of them wanting to be the first to speak. Finally he turned back to them.  
  
"Listen, I know that you're worried, but I did tell you guys. I waited a little longer than normal and I told you why. I'm even planning on telling Dumbledore because there's something I want to ask him anyway. So please don't be upset with me for this."  
  
Ron and Ginny grinned at him.  
  
"Not upset with you," Ginny said. "Just worried for you."  
  
Harry looked to Ron who was nodding at what Ginny said, then at Hermione who, of course, was looking at him skeptically.  
  
"Please just be smart Harry, that's all I'm asking you," she said.  
  
"So you think I'm normally dumb?" he asked, jokingly.  
  
"You know I don't, just stubborn sometimes."  
  
He smiled at her and nodded.  
  
"Okay. I promise you, I'll be smart. Better?" he asked.  
  
"Much," she replied, shaking her head and grinning. They spent the rest of the ride chatting about more pleasant topics and thankfully, by the time they arrived; Malfoy had not stopped in to bother them once. Harry was glad to see Hagrid was once again out there calling for the first years, and started to head over to him. But Hagrid simply waved at them and shook his head as if to say not now, before going back to calling for the first years. Harry didn't know what was up, but figured Hagrid would tell him later. They took the carriages to the school and went, together, into the great hall. Soon enough, the doors opened, and McGonagall walked in with the first years.  
  
As they watched the first years nervously follow McGonagall to the front Harry felt Ron elbowing him in the ribs. He turned to see him pointing at an empty chair at the teacher's table. It was Snape's.  
  
"Where do you think he is?" Ron asked.  
  
"I don't have any idea," Harry replied. He scanned the rest of the table and saw everyone else was there, including Hagrid who had just taken his seat a moment before McGonagall came in. Then the door at the back of the room opened again.  
  
Snape walked in accompanied by a man Harry had never seen before. He was very young, maybe five years older than Harry, with the same height as Snape but with a lanky build and light brown hair. His eyes were dark, almost black, and he looked as angry as Snape usually did. Harry had a strong feeling of dislike towards him immediately.  
  
The two of them went up to the table together. Snape whispered something to Dumbledore briefly, while the other man grabbed a chair for himself. They both took their seats near Snape's end of the table, before the sorting began.  
  
Harry barely paid attention to the sorting, he clapped when the rest of his table did but his attention was on this new person. He didn't know if he was being paranoid, but every time Harry looked up at him, he seemed to be looking away quickly. He just got a bad feeling from this person.  
  
When Dumbledore gave his normal announcements after the sorting, he introduced the person as Mr. Gridman. Gridman would be helping Snape out during at least the beginning of the year with potions lessons; he was something of a student teacher.  
  
When Dumbledore finished, and the food finally appeared, Harry had almost no appetite; he barely even touched his food. This was just ridiculous, he thought. He had never spoken a word to this man and just thinking about him was making him feel ill.  
  
Ron kept shooting him questioning looks and obviously wanted Harry to explain, but Harry just waved them off. He didn't know how to explain the feeling, or what to base it on, just that it was there.  
  
He was immediately distracted from his thoughts when both Snape and Gridman got up from their seats. Snape nodded at Dumbledore, who nodded back, and the two of them started towards the door. Harry couldn't explain it, but as he saw the two men coming closer and closer he began to feel nervous, his hands were shaking and he was very cold.  
  
He glanced around at his friends who were all chatting and eating; none of them seemed to think anything was wrong. He looked back at the two men, who were now less than five steps from him, and was horrified to see Gridman reach into his robe and pull out a wand. Harry had no time to react as Gridman stopped walking and turned to face him, wand outstretched. He shoved his hands into his robes but it was too late, Gridman had already spoken the curse.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" he whispered fiercely.  
  
A blast of green light flew from the wand tip and hit Harry full force, knocking him away from the table and slamming him to the floor, motionless. 


	2. Chapter 2

Harry couldn't move; he was in more pain than he could ever remember, far worse than any pain the Cruciatus Curse had ever caused him. He felt the deadly curse spreading through him and his joints had simply frozen up. He wanted to scream it hurt so badly, but he couldn't, so he lay there helpless, wishing for death to come quickly.  
  
He could see very little of what was going on around him, but realized that Ron, Hermione and Ginny were on either side of him. Ron was staring at him in shock while the two girls were sobbing. He could hear yelling going on somewhere nearby, but it was muted, and it didn't seem to be of much importance to him now. Why wasn't he dead? Or was he? He never thought it took this long. When he had seen Cedric die, it appeared as though it happened immediately, he only hoped that Cedric hadn't had to endure this much pain. But then, he supposed, he must appear dead to anyone looking at him. No one was trying to help him, just staring.  
  
Suddenly his vision blurred as his eyes began to water. Tears had sprung to his eyes from the pain consuming him. A single tear slid down his cheek and dripped to the floor.  
  
Hermione saw this and inhaled sharply. Ron and Ginny looked at her anxiously.  
  
"He isn't dead." she whispered, growing pale.  
  
Ron and Ginny gaped at her, disbelief and hope mingled on their faces. But before either of them could speak, Dumbledore appeared at last. He knelt down gently by Harry's side and even though he couldn't see clearly, he was sure the headmaster looked relieved.  
  
All of a sudden, the hold over him broke, and he could move again. Though he almost wished it hadn't because the pain worsened enormously. The smallest of cries escaped from him as he doubled over in pain. He barely heard the collective gasp of all the people nearby. Dumbledore quickly raised his wand and Harry was lifted up on a stretcher.  
  
"Try to relax Harry," he heard Dumbledore say, sounding very far away. He had the vague sensation that they were moving, but kept his eyes squinted shut, willing the pain to end. "I'm taking you to the hospital wing."  
  
If Dumbledore said anything else, Harry didn't hear it. Every part of him felt as if it was on fire, and he finally lost consciousness.  
  
When Harry opened his eyes again, he was in the hospital wing. His vision was still a little blurry, but he could tell just by the scent of the room he was in. He tried to sit up, but immediately found that to be a bad idea as every muscle in his body was screaming for him to stop. There was movement beside him suddenly and he felt a hand on his shoulder, pressing him back down gently.  
  
"Who's there?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"It's me, Sirius," came his godfather's voice.  
  
Harry was filled with relief, glad to have him there; he made him feel safe and secure. As he laid back down the events from earlier slowly came back to him and he had one question he needed answered above all of them.  
  
"Sirius.what happened to me? Why am I still alive?" Harry asked.  
  
Sirius just looked at him, his face a mixture of fear and anger. He stayed silent for a long time, and Harry was beginning to think he wouldn't answer, when he finally spoke.  
  
"I think that now is not the time for questions, Harry. You need rest more than anything else."  
  
This was not what Harry wanted to hear; he pulled his arms up and forced himself into somewhat of a sitting position. He glanced around and saw his glasses on the table next to him, when he reached out for them, he nearly overbalanced, but Sirius had jumped up and caught him in time.  
  
"Please don't Harry, not this time." He said handing the glasses to his godson. "I don't know how you survived, I'm not sure if anyone does. But you were very lucky tonight."  
  
"But Sirius." Harry began stubbornly, not intending to give up.  
  
"Harry, I don't know. You can ask me as many times as you want but it won't change that fact. I don't have the answers you're looking for."  
  
"I do," came a voice from the doorway, they both looked to see Dumbledore standing a few feet away. He slowly walked over to Harry's bedside and sat down. He looked at Harry very seriously and seemed almost upset.  
  
"I think it's time you and I have a little talk."  
  
"Do you know why the curse didn't kill me?" Harry asked, looking anxiously at Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Albus, is this really the time?" Sirius interrupted. He's been through too much today as it is."  
  
Harry glared angrily at his godfather. But he didn't have to say anything, Dumbledore started to speak right away.  
  
"Sirius, I'm afraid today, that this is more important. If Harry feels well enough to listen, then I'm going to answer his questions. Particularly one that he asked me so long ago, after his second encounter with Voldemort."  
  
Harry's eyes widened. He sat up fully, ignoring any pain now and leaned forward. Dumbledore looked straight into Harry's eyes before taking a deep breath and speaking.  
  
"Have you ever heard of a wizard by the name of Grindelwald?" he asked. Harry stared at him blankly for a moment, before the answer came to him.  
  
"Isn't he the dark wizard that you defeated? In 1945, right?"  
  
"Yes, that is correct. His powers were equal to Voldemort's in every way. People were living in fear of him and his followers and it was a very dark time. When I defeated him, I used something very rare, called Lunis."  
  
"I've never heard of it. How does it work?" Harry asked.  
  
"It has to be given to you, as only one wizard can have control of it. The one who has it, has access to incredible power, beyond what any of us could normally achieve. It works differently for each person that has control of it, so there is no way to explain exactly how it works, but when a person knows that they have Lunis, they can begin to understand how to use it."  
  
Harry barely nodded at him, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"After I defeated Grindelwald, I no longer had any control over Lunis, couldn't use the power it offered anymore. I had to find someone to give it to, but I wouldn't give it to just anyone. I had to be sure whoever had the power would not abuse it. So after many years passed, and Voldemort began gaining support, I knew my time was running out. I asked one of the brightest students ever to attend Hogwart's if he would take on the responsibility. It was your father, Harry. James Potter."  
  
Harry stared at him in disbelief.  
  
"But.how.what.I." he stammered.  
  
"Be patient, I will explain everything. James accepted on the spot, he knew it was an honor to be the holder of Lunis. So I performed the incantation to give the spell to him immediately. He and I went to tell Lily that night and decided then, it would be best for all of you to go into hiding, at least until James was ready to use Lunis. That is why your family needed a secret keeper," Dumbledore said. Harry thought he detected a hint of guilt in his voice, but didn't say anything about it.  
  
"So, Voldemort knows about Lunis then?" Harry asked.  
  
"He knows only a little about it, such as the power it gives you. Though he doesn't realize it is limited to one use. He knows that you can be given Lunis by the person holding it, or take it from them by force."  
  
"How would you take it by force?" Harry asked. Dumbledore looked at Harry for a moment before answering.  
  
"You would have to kill them. If you kill the person holding Lunis then you take possession of it immediately."  
  
Harry looked down at his hands, trying to process all that was being said.  
  
"So, he must have it then, right? Voldemort killed my father so it must've gone to him."  
  
"No, he does not. You see, being the holder of Lunis has another benefit, one that Voldemort thankfully doesn't know of. You become invincible to almost anything. The only way you can be killed, is if you are pierced through the heart."  
  
"But, my father was killed with Avada Kedavra!" Harry said, shuddering when he said the words. "How is that possible if he was the holder?"  
  
"Because, your father knew when Voldemort attacked, that he did not yet have the ability to use Lunis. Once you become the holder, it must adjust to your body before you can use it, which unfortunately does not happen as quickly as we would like. So he performed the same incantation as I had, and gave it to you."  
  
Harry sat there in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
"Why?" he asked when he found his voice.  
  
"Because you are his son. He realized that neither him, nor Lily would be able to escape, and this was his only option left, to ensure that you lived."  
  
"Then my mother dying for me, isn't what saved me from the curse?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh she saved you. She's the reason the curse rebounded from you and hit Voldemort, and why you were left with the scar. It's also the reason he can't touch you without feeling the same pain your scar gives you when he is near." Dumbledore paused for a moment before continuing. "Voldemort knew once he had killed your father that he no longer held Lunis because he would have felt it transferring to him. He quickly figured out that James must have transferred it before he arrived, and that's when he went after you. But if he had known everything, he would not have tried to kill you or your father using Avada Kedavra, as it wouldn't work while you have possession of Lunis."  
  
"So then, if my mother hadn't died, I still would have lived?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, but everything would be quite different."Dumbledore began.  
  
"Of course it would've! I would have a mother right now!" Harry exclaimed, feeling angry. "Why would she do it when she knew? She knew I would've been fine!"  
  
"She did what she did out of love for you," Dumbledore said firmly. "Consider this, if Voldemort had not killed Lily, and instead tried to kill you first, the curse would not have rebounded. Voldemort wouldn't have lost power, he might've killed your mother anyway and taken you away with him until he figured out how to get the power from you. He might've even used you, raised you as if you were his. I believe very strongly that she knew exactly what she was doing."  
  
Harry, again, was speechless. The thought of being raised by Voldemort, being brought up to believe his ways were right, was too much for him to bear. He was feeling very cold right now, and his hands were shaking. He clamped them together, trying to hide the fact. He looked at Dumbledore, who was looking back at him, then turned to Sirius, who he was surprised to see looked a bit angry.  
  
"So, let me see if I understand this correctly," Sirius spoke up after having remained silent through the entire discussion. "You gave possession of Lunis over to James, so that he might be able to defeat Voldemort with it, but he was found before he was able to use it. He gave it to Harry for his protection because he saw no other way to save him. Is that right?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Okay, and when you have possession of Lunis, it gives you power beyond anything we can imagine, but you can only use it once and it's different for each person. Once it is used, it must be passed on before it can be used again. It makes the holder invincible to anything except being pierced though the heart. Stop me if I'm wrong here," he said a little irritably. Dumbledore simply nodded again.  
  
"Voldemort has been after Harry to gain control of Lunis, but doesn't yet realize he can't kill him, or at least not how to do it. The only things he DOES know about, are the power you gain, and that you have to kill to gain it, right?" For the third time, Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Why is this the first I'm hearing of this?" Sirius asked quietly. "You told me when I was originally going to be the Secret Keeper for the Potters that they had information Voldemort wanted. You said you couldn't tell me what it was because then I couldn't be a Secret Keeper, I'd need one."  
  
"That's right. If you knew everything about it then it would've been twice as dangerous for you. He would have gotten the information from you in one way or another and we would be living in a very different world today, if we were alive at all."  
  
Sirius looked at him a moment before continuing.  
  
"Alright, then why didn't you tell me about it later? You could have at any point over the last three or four years that I've been around here. Why would you keep it a secret?"  
  
Harry was looking back and forth between his godfather and the headmaster, waiting anxiously for the answer.  
  
"I didn't tell you because I believe this all could've been prevented and that you'd blame me for not preventing it."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, clearly confused.  
  
"I waited too long. I knew that it would take quite a while before James could use any of the power Lunis would give him, but I waited because I wasn't sure that power should be unleashed. It was something I had no right to decide. Because of that, James and Lily are dead, and Voldemort, while he was certainly delayed for quite a while, is almost back to the height of his power today."  
  
Harry was stunned. He had never considered even for a second that Dumbledore was to blame for any of this. Before he could open his mouth he heard Sirius start talking, sounding much softer than a few moments earlier.  
  
"You know that isn't true. You did what you had to do, and you shouldn't blame yourself for anything. Even if you had given it to him earlier, Wormtail would have ended up as the Secret Keeper and Voldemort would have found them just as quickly."  
  
Dumbledore nodded at him, and even smiled a little.  
  
"Sirius, I give the same argument to myself every time I think about it. The truth is there is no way of knowing what would have happened. We can't predict the future, so we are forced to live with the past. Just as long as we don't live in it, we'll be fine."  
  
"Why couldn't you tell me about this when I asked you so long ago?" Harry asked.  
  
"Because you were not ready to use it then. Lunis is very powerful magic and if you are not ready to use it, it could be very painful, even dangerous. But by not telling you about it, you were safe. You see, it will only adjust to you when you know about it. I was going to tell you last year, but when things became complicated, and you were given the knowledge, I knew I could not. You never know how one type of magic is going to affect another when they are combined, and since both types are potentially dangerous, I didn't want to chance it."  
  
"I don't feel any different though. How do I know it's working?"  
  
"You won't feel anything different, but once you have complete control over it, it will be available whenever you need it. Take care though, don't use it until it becomes absolutely necessary, because when you use it once, you never can again."  
  
Harry sighed, heavily.  
  
"This is all very confusing. I have no idea what this power will do or how to use it, but I've apparently had it almost my entire life."  
  
"Best not to dwell on it, no one can tell you what you'll be able to do with it, so there will be no answer until that time comes."  
  
Harry looked at him skeptically, thinking how impossible that suggestion sounded. How could he not think about it? He looked over at Sirius who still looked a little irritated, but much calmer than before. Then turned back to Dumbledore as another thought occurred to him.  
  
"What happened, after Mr. Gridman used the curse on me? Is he still here?"  
  
"Mr. Gridman is no longer here. Though we know now that Voldemort sent him here. He is a death eater."  
  
"How did he get in?" Harry asked weakly, the color draining from his face.  
  
"And why didn't you know about this?" Sirius asked, anger flashing in his eyes again. "Don't you check these things out before letting strangers into the school?"  
  
"Of course I do," Dumbledore replied, calmly. "The only way he would have been able to hide the fact that he was a death eater is for someone in the ministry to have helped them."  
  
"What about Snape? Wouldn't he have recognized him?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Possibly, but we haven't been able to ask him yet."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sirius cried, standing up. "He was right there, wasn't he? Why didn't he try to stop Gridman? Did he help at all?"  
  
"Sirius, I know this is very hard for you but please calm down. I would never do anything to knowingly put Harry in harm's way."  
  
Sirius slowly sat back down, looking anything but calm. He took a deep breath and looked up at Dumbledore before speaking again.  
  
"I do know you would never do that. I apologize. Now please tell me, why haven't you talked to Snape about this?"  
  
"Because we can't find him."  
  
"He left? That coward!" Sirius said, fiercely.  
  
"No, he didn't leave. The person in the great hall with Mr. Gridman was not Severus Snape. It was a shapeshifter."  
  
Harry's jaw dropped, he looked at Sirius to see he was speechless as well.  
  
"Is he okay?" he managed to ask.  
  
"I don't know," Dumbledore replied. "No one knows where he is."  
  
"So, do we still have the shapeshifter than?" Harry asked.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head slowly.  
  
"No, they are extremely fast. When he saw that we overpowered Mr. Gridman, he ran."  
  
"Then maybe Gridman can tell us where Snape is!" Harry cried. His stomach was knotting. Another person hurt so Voldemort could get to him.  
  
"Apparently, he was prepared for the possibility that he may not succeed in his mission. We used Veritaserum on him, and he told us that he had been the one to stun Severus, long enough for the shapeshifter to take him elsewhere."  
  
"Well where could he have taken him? I mean, it doesn't sound like they left the school."  
  
"We are searching for him now, I don't want you to worry about it. If he is here, we will find him."  
  
"And what if he isn't here?" Harry asked. Dumbledore didn't answer. Harry slumped back down on the pillows, feeling horribly guilty. The pain was nowhere near as bad as before, but it was still bothering him.  
  
"So where is Gridman now?" he asked.  
  
"I informed the ministry of what had happened, they sent over people to take custody of him."  
  
"Do we know who let him come here in the first place?" Sirius asked. "You said it must've been someone at the ministry."  
  
"No. There was not enough time to fully question him and my primary concern was for Harry's safety and finding Severus."  
  
"Why would Voldemort send him, though? He definitely planned to kill me, but then he must've thought Gridman would take possession of Lunis."  
  
"My only suspicion is that Voldemort would then have killed Gridman, to take the power for himself."  
  
"So, he was just using him." Harry said flatly.  
  
"That is what he does," Dumbledore said, looking angry all of a sudden. "He has no regard for human life. All he cares about is gaining power, and he doesn't care who he kills to get it."  
  
Madam Pomfrey walked over than, holding a cup in her hands, she glanced warily at Sirius, but didn't say anything. She turned towards Dumbledore. "I really must insist Mr. Potter take this now. It's been much longer than we talked about."  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Of course Poppy, I apologize," he then turned to Harry, smiling. "I will see you tomorrow morning." He got up and beckoned Sirius, who truly did not look as if he wanted to leave, to follow him. When the two men were gone, Madam Pomfrey handed him the cup.  
  
"Drink this all now," she said gently. Harry took the cup from her; he saw she looked somewhat sad. He turned away from her quickly and raised the cup, drinking every last drop. Slowly, he slid down under the covers, and drifted off into a mercifully dreamless sleep.  
  
When Harry finally woke some time later, he saw the room was filled with brilliant sunshine. He pushed himself up, stiffly and reached for his glasses. As he looked around again, he saw that Madam Pomfrey had noticed him up, and was on her way over.  
  
"Good Morning Harry," she said pleasantly, checking him over. "You're up early today. Professor Dumbledore wanted to know when you came around, so I'll be leaving for just a few moments. I don't want you to move until I return, understood?" she asked firmly. Harry could tell this wasn't question. He nodded at her and watched until she was out of sight.  
  
He sat back against the pillows again. His first night back for his last year of school and he'd spent it in the hospital wing. He shook his head in disgust; if he never had to sleep in one of these beds again it would be too soon. There was a noise at the door, and he looked up to see Dumbledore walk in, followed by Madam Pomfrey. He nodded at her, then went over to Harry.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked when he reached the bed. He was smiling again, and he looked like his usual self, much different from what he had been last night.  
  
"A little stiff, but much better than yesterday," Harry replied. "Did you find Professor Snape yet?" he asked.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head, his smile faltering.  
  
"No, not yet, I'm afraid."  
  
"Have you searched the entire castle? Harry asked. "I know you said you didn't know about every room in here."  
  
"That's true, I don't. I'd be amazed to find someone who did," Dumbledore said. "But I don't want you to worry about that right now. We have no intentions of giving up."  
  
Harry just nodded at him, again thinking Dumbledore had made an impossible suggestion.  
  
"Can I go to classes today?" he asked hopefully. He prayed that he wouldn't have to spend his first full day here.  
  
Dumbledore smiled at him in amusement.  
  
"Do you think you are well enough? If you feel you are up to it, and not just because you don't want to stay in here, then I will allow it."  
  
"Yes!" Harry answered eagerly. "I'm just a little achy, but I'll be fine."  
  
"Very well. I will tell Poppy. She'll want to check you over again, but then you can head up to your tower." He started to walk away then, but turned back as if he forgot something. "The password, for you to get in, is 'Broomstick.' Wouldn't want you going off without that yet again," he said, smiling. Then he turned and went over to Madam Pomfrey's office.  
  
After more poking and prodding, Madam Pomfrey finally let Harry go. He changed as quickly as possible and left the hospital wing. When he reached the portrait of the fat lady he said the password and stepped inside. No one was there; everyone was probably still asleep, or just getting up. He moved towards the staircase and headed up to the seventh year dorms. He pushed open the door quietly to see Seamus, Dean and Neville sitting up in bed, all yawning and stretching. Ron was standing up, pulling his robes out of his closet, when he saw Harry. The room went uncomfortably silent, and Harry just walked over to the only open bed, with all of his things next to it. He didn't make eye contact with anyone, as he didn't want to see fear or pity staring back at him.  
  
As he opened his trunk and started rummaging through it, Ron stepped over to him.  
  
"Don't hate me for asking this, but how are you doing?" he said quietly. Harry glanced up at him, smirking a little.  
  
"Why would I hate you for that? And I'm doing much better, thanks."  
  
Ron grinned back at him.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. I seem to recall you not liking anyone to fuss over you, or worry about you."  
  
"Well I don't," Harry replied. "So I'm lucky enough to have friends that force it on me anyway." He looked over his shoulder at the other three, who were all, as he expected, gaping at him. Would there be a time when he didn't see this almost regularly, he thought to himself.  
  
"Guys, I'm okay. Still a little achy, but alive."  
  
"But how?" Seamus asked, sounding almost suspicious. Harry looked at him, knowing he didn't want to tell them anything about Lunis, and decided to lie.  
  
"I don't know," he said and shrugged. "Maybe he did the curse wrong."  
  
"Not likely, I heard he's a death eater!" Dean exclaimed. Seamus nodded and Neville just looked at him, terrified.  
  
"Who told you that?" Harry asked, trying to sound casual.  
  
"Just heard it, you know, around." Dean said, keeping Harry's gaze.  
  
"Well, maybe he is. I haven't been told anything yet, been asleep since last night." He turned back to his trunk and wouldn't look at them again. When he and Ron were the only ones left in the room, he pulled out the Marauder's Map.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron asked confused. "You just got back and already you're pulling that thing out. Tell me you aren't planning on sneaking around."  
  
"Oh, sorry Hermione," Harry joked. "Don't worry, I'm not sneaking anywhere. I just want to look at something, that's all."  
  
Ron looked at him skeptically, but didn't say anything. He watched as Harry pulled out his wand and turned the map on, then leaned over his shoulder as they both searched the map.  
  
"What are we looking for?" Ron whispered.  
  
"Snape."  
  
"What? Why?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because he's missing," Harry replied, sighing and closing the map. "And he's not here."  
  
"But we all saw Snape last night. How could he be missing?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry sighed, inwardly. Here we go, another year of reliving every bad incident I go through. He shook the thought away and looked at Ron.  
  
"I'll tell you later, I promise. I know that Hermione and Ginny will ask anyway so I'm just gonna wait. Besides there's too much to tell, it's gonna take a while. After classes tonight, okay?" Harry asked.  
  
Ron looked as if this were not okay at all, but didn't want to push his friend. He nodded, slowly.  
  
"Okay, tonight then."  
  
"Good, now lets get downstairs before we miss breakfast, I didn't get much to eat last night as it is," Harry said, putting the map back in his trunk. The two of them left the dorm together and went through the portrait hole, towards the great hall.  
  
When they walked into the great hall, a hush fell over the room. All eyes turned to Harry, who was doing his best not to meet any of them. He glanced over to the Slytherin table, most of whom were snickering at him, and then across the rest of the room, at a sea of worried and frightened faces.  
  
The two of them moved quickly to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Hermione looked as if she might cry again, and Ginny already was, slightly.  
  
"Harry, I thought you were dead." Hermione whispered. "We all did."  
  
Harry wished she wouldn't look at him like that, as if he were already dead, he tried to smile at her reassuringly.  
  
"Well I'm not dead. I'm here, very much alive," he looked at her, then at Ginny, before continuing. "Please, don't cry," he said gently. "Really I'm fine."  
  
"You don't know what it looked like though.seeing you.seeing." she choked on her words. Harry didn't know how to reply to this, he looked at Ron, who turned to Hermione.  
  
"Hermione," he started, taking her hand. "I know what you're feeling, we all thought he was dead, but try and be happy that he isn't, instead of thinking about something that didn't happen."  
  
She looked up at him thru red, puffy eyes.  
  
"What happened?" Ginny asked, startling everyone. "It looked like you were dead, but then you moved, and it just looked like it hurt so.so much.."  
  
"Ginny," Harry began. "I will tell you, but not now. If I start, I won't be able to finish and we don't have much time left before class. Later on, I promise."  
  
She looked back at him, but didn't speak, just wiped at her eyes a little. Ron looked over at Harry, who was staring at his food, none of it having been touched.  
  
"What class do we have first?" Ron asked trying to change the subject.  
  
"Potions," Hermione replied, weakly. She pulled out a handkerchief and delicately blew her nose.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, jerking his head up. He saw Ginny and Hermione looking at him, questioningly.  
  
"Never mind," he said quietly. One way or the other they would find out Snape was missing. He didn't want to bring it up and get another barrage of questions, so he brushed it off. He wondered, briefly why the class hadn't been cancelled and who they'd found for a replacement.  
  
He quickly shoved down as much of the food on his plate as possible, before getting up with the others. Ginny headed off to her class, while he, Ron and Hermione headed for the dungeon area.  
  
They walked into the potions classroom, which was almost completely full at this point, and took a seat at one of the back tables. Whoever was coming had not shown up yet. Harry set his bag down beside him and looked over at Hermione. She still looked very pale, but she wasn't crying anymore. A voice from the front of the room startled him out of his thoughts.  
  
"So, Potter, enjoy all your attention this morning? We all know how much you love people staring at you," Malfoy said loudly.  
  
"Why don't you be quiet?' Hermione screamed, standing up. "You have no right to even speak to Harry after what you did!"  
  
Harry quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to her seat, she was absolutely livid. He didn't want her to go saying anything in front of everyone about last year. He looked at Malfoy who knew what clearly knew what she was referring to, and he looked furious at her.  
  
"I wasn't speaking to you mudblood," he spat.  
  
This time it was Ron who sprang out of his seat.  
  
"Don't you ever call Hermione that again," he said in a deadly quiet voice.  
  
"You gonna stop me?" Malfoy said standing up as well, he pulled his wand out and pointed it at Ron.  
  
"What, may I ask, is going on here?" came a voice from the doorway. Every head in the room, except Ron's and Malfoy's, turned to see who it belonged to.  
  
A young woman, with a petite build and shoulder length dark red hair, stood in the doorway. She was wearing long dark blue robes, and was carrying a stack of papers and books.  
  
No one answered her question, just stared at her. She strode up to the front of the room and set the stack she was carrying down on the desk. Then she walked over to Malfoy, who was still holding his wand out at Ron.  
  
"Why do you have your wand out, surely you weren't planning on doing anything to break the rules, were you?" she asked, fixing him with a stern glare.  
  
"There's no rule that says we can't use magic in the classrooms," Malfoy said, quietly.  
  
"There is if you use it on another student," the woman replied, firmly. "Put it down now."  
  
Malfoy glared at her, but lowered his wand.  
  
"You must be Draco Malfoy," the woman said, smirking.  
  
"How would you know that?" he asked, snidely.  
  
"You look like your father," she replied, "among other similar traits."  
  
He rolled his eyes at her and sat back in his chair. The woman then turned her attention to Ron.  
  
"Would you be willing to tell me what happened?" she asked.  
  
Ron looked from her, to Draco, and back again, before answering.  
  
"Just an argument, nothing big," he said in a low voice. She nodded at him, but her expression said she knew he was hiding something.  
  
"Take you seat please," she said to Ron before addressing the rest of the class. "My name is Professor Allison Gazten. While Professor Snape is away, I'll be taking over his classes. Since he hasn't started on anything yet, it being the first day of classes and all, I will use my own schedule for the time being. Now if you'll all turn to page 24 in your books, we can begin."  
  
Harry looked at Ron, who was still looking daggers at Malfoy, then back to Professor Gazten. He wondered if she had come from the ministry as well, and was sure Dumbledore wouldn't allow another person in without checking them out more closely. He pushed the thought out of his mind however, as the lesson got underway.  
  
Potions was halfway over and Harry's was turning out exactly as the book said it should. Hermione was also doing well, and trying to help Ron at the same time, as his potion was red when it should have been orange. Professor Gazten was walking around the room trying to help anyone who seemed to be having trouble.  
  
"Wow, nice to have someone who isn't going to tell us how horrible we are just because of what house we're in," Ron commented, watching Gazten helping out Lavender and Parvati. He looked over at Malfoy again, who was having many problems with his potion, which was a horrid shade of green.  
  
"Green? How do you mess up that badly?" Ron whispered, stifling a laugh, as Gazten was now nearing them.  
  
"How are we doing?" she asked, pleasantly. She looked down at Harry and Hermione's potions and smiled. "Doesn't seem as though either of you need any help right now, 10 points each for Gryffindor. Excellent job, both of you." Then she turned to look at Ron. "How about you, Mr. Weasley?"  
  
"Oh, um.I think I'm okay. Thank you," he replied awkwardly. She nodded at him and continued around the room. When she got to Malfoy, she put her hand up to her face, to cover the laugh, threatening to escape.  
  
"It appears you didn't add any Moor's Root, Mr. Malfoy. Did you see that on the list of ingredients?"  
  
"Yes," he hissed at her. "I can read you know."  
  
"Well, then tell me what happened," she said, her eyes flashing with anger. It was the first time all class she appeared this way. "If you can read, why didn't you add it in?"  
  
He just shrugged, then turned his back on her.  
  
"Well, if you're going to be disrespectful, then fine. Ten points from Slytherin."  
  
Malfoy glared at her, and she returned the look, as if daring him to say anything else. He saw what she was doing and turned his head. In the back of the room, Harry, Ron and Hermione all grinned at each other.  
  
At the end of the class, Gryffindor had lost no points at all. Harry grabbed his things together and followed Ron and Hermione out of the class. He looked carefully at Professor Gazten as he was leaving, but she was just going through her paper, paying him no attention in particular. They headed out into the hallway, and off to their next class.  
  
"I like her," Hermione said as they walked along the hall. "Though she certainly didn't seem to like Malfoy very much."  
  
"Does anybody?" Ron asked, laughing. "Besides the gorillas he pays to, I mean."  
  
"He was just rude to her," Harry said.  
  
"But she knew who he was right away. Remember?" she asked.  
  
"I know, because he looked like Lucius, I heard her."  
  
"I think it's more than that," Hermione said.  
  
"How so?" Harry asked. He still wasn't sure he trusted the new Potions teacher, but at least she hadn't tried to kill him yet.  
  
"I don't know, it's just.a feeling."  
  
"A feeling? You sure it's not your subconscious telling you that when really what happened is you read about some feud between their families or something?" Ron joked.  
  
Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, playfully.  
  
"Well at least ONE of us reads," she said, feigning an insulted look. He put his arm around her shoulder and drew her closer to him, kissing her forehead. As Harry watched his two best friends he realized how much he missed Cho. He had no idea when he would see her again, and made a mental note to write to her as soon as possible.  
  
"So," he began, clearing his throat lightly, "Where are we going, anyway?"  
  
Hermione whipped her schedule out of a folder and quickly skimmed it.  
  
"Well, I have Arithmancy, which means you two probably have."  
  
"Divination!" Ron groaned. "Oh, man. Why would they make us take that on our first day back? It's too cruel!"  
  
Harry wasn't looking forward to it either, especially if Professor Trelawny had heard anything of last night's little spectacle. So they walked with Hermione as far as possible, then split off, heading for the north tower. As they reached the rope ladder, Ron looked at Harry one more time, rolling his eyes, then began climbing.  
  
They walked into the classroom, which was just as stuffy as ever, with the smoky, scented air, and sat down at their usual desk. When the rest of the class arrived, Professor Trelawny came flitting out of the cloudiness, into the center of the room.  
  
"Good day, to all of you. I'm sure you're all anxious to begin, so I won't waste any time today. We will start with something that is very difficult, and will most likely take the full school year to perfect. For those of you that can do this, you truly have the gift, for the rest of you, I offer my apologies."  
  
"What is she on about now?" Ron whispered to Harry. Harry just shook his head and motioned for Ron to keep quiet, as Trelawny was looking in their direction.  
  
"Harry," she cried, catching sight of him and rushing over. "Oh my dear, how are you?"  
  
"Fine," he said quietly, wishing she would just get on with the lesson. He now felt every set of eyes in the class on him.  
  
"Tell us, how did you do it? You survived the most deadly curse in all the wizarding world twice. You must have known what you were doing this time, and it must've taken a great amount of spiritual power."  
  
Harry's jaw dropped and he looked up at her to find she was staring straight back at him, utterly serious. He couldn't believe she would ask this of him in front of the entire class.  
  
"I didn't do anything," he said through clenched teeth. This unfortunately did not pacify Trelawny.  
  
"Come now, don't be modest. The energy you must have conjured had to have been enormous. You must've somehow called on spirits from beyond to."  
  
"Look I said I didn't do anything!" he hissed, glaring at her. Why did she refuse to use some tact once in a while?  
  
Trelawny glared at him, indignantly, before turning around in a swirl of scarves and stalking back to the center of the class.  
  
Now in a particularly bad mood, Harry sat and half-listened to what Trelawny was telling the class. Ron didn't say anything more to draw her attention as he felt it wouldn't turn out well. Most of the class were seeming to pay attention, but every once in a while a student's gaze would stray to where Harry was sitting. Everyone was curious to know how he had survived.  
  
As it turned out, the project they would be working on was mind- reading. That should be easy enough to fake, at least, Harry thought. As he listened to her go on and on about the stages they would go through in order to master this 'gift,' his eyes started to water.  
  
He pushed his fingers up under his glasses and wiped at them, but it only made it worse. He pulled his glasses off, and put both of his hands up, furiously rubbing at his eyes. Then, without warning, they began to burn. Harry inhaled sharply, but didn't cry out. Ron noticed, however, and turned towards his friend. "What's wrong?" he asked, sounding worried.  
  
Harry had his elbows on the desk with the balls of his hands pressed into his eyes, hard.  
  
"My eyes, they're burning," Harry whispered. The burning became intense and a stab of pain went through his head. He bit back the cry threatening to escape and just kept his jaw clenched. Why is this happening here of all places, he thought, bitterly.  
  
"Do you need to leave? Go see Madam Pomfrey or something?" Ron whispered back.  
  
"No, I." he began, when another voice interrupted him.  
  
"What's going on here?" Professor Trelawny said sounding annoyed. Harry tried to lift his head away from his hands, but the pain intensified the second he took the pressure away. He shut his eyes tightly and shoved his hands back into place.  
  
Harry didn't move. He wasn't listening to Professor Trelawny as she kept at him to explain what was happening, nor did he hear the nervous whispering from the students around the room. All he cared about was the pain he was feeling. His eyes felt as if they were on fire, and he had no idea what to do.  
  
Ever so slowly, the pain began to ease. After what seemed like hours, he was able to take his hands away from his eyes. All the noise in the room started coming in more clearly.  
  
"Mr. Potter!" came Trelawny's uncharacteristically stern voice. "Will you please explain what's happening? What are you seeing? We need to know everything!"  
  
Harry groaned inwardly. Of course she was going to make a big deal out of this. He waited for a moment, before finally opening his eyes. But what he saw gave him a start, his stomach twisted violently and he blinked a few times.  
  
"I can't see," he said, sounding strangely calm.  
  
"Don't lie, I know something was happening just then." she began.  
  
"No, I can't see! As in right now, I can't see anything."  
  
"Well what did you see before?" she asked eagerly.  
  
Harry would have glared at her if he knew where she was standing. Here he was blind and all she cared about was if he had seen some premonition or vision or something.  
  
"I saw exactly what I'm seeing now. Nothing. My eyes were burning and my head hurt, and then the pain stopped. Now I can't see."  
  
"Do your eyes still burn?" Ron's voice floated over from beside him.  
  
"Yes, but not as badly," he answered.  
  
"You should probably go see Madam Pomfrey then," Ron said, urgently. Harry felt sick. Was he going to spend the entire year in the hospital wing? He gave a disgusted sigh and put his head in his hands.  
  
"Harry," Trelawny spoke up, sounding ever so gentle. "I truly believe that if you leave now, you won't be able to figure out what just happened. This isn't the first time something like this has happened to you, and look what happened when you left last time." She was looking at him with pity and shaking her head, but he couldn't see this.  
  
He was utterly infuriated by her comment and stood up, feeling around for his bag.  
  
"No, I think it's best that I go," he said stiffly. He almost wished he could see the disappointed look on her face. "Ron, will you help me?" he asked, lowering his voice.  
  
"Absolutely," Ron said, and Harry could hear him get up as well. He took one of Harry's arms and started to lead him away, when suddenly, Harry jerked to a stop.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, sounding concerned.  
  
"I.I think I see something," Harry asked, straining to make his eyes come into focus. A moment ago everything had been black, but now there were shapes forming, still dark and shadowy, but better than nothing.  
  
"Do you see me?" Ron asked.  
  
"No.it's not in this room. Hold on, it's clearing up."  
  
Harry watched as a vision slowly formed, seemingly in front of him. Though he knew that was impossible because the room he was in was bright and what he was seeing looked like dark and dingy. It was dimly lit, and he could just make out a figure standing against one of the walls, his arms raised above him. Finally everything snapped into view, and he inhaled sharply when he saw who it was.  
  
"Snape." he whispered.  
  
"What?" Ron asked, trying to keep his voice down, as Trelawny was eyeing them, suspiciously. "You can see him? Where is he?"  
  
"I don't know," Harry said, anxiously. "But he's in trouble, wherever he is, he's chained to a wall."  
  
"Does anything look familiar? What else is there?"  
  
"Nothing!" Harry said, on the verge of panic. Now he knew Snape was in danger and he had no way to help him. "I wish I could just look around the room or something, but all I can see is him."  
  
"C'mon," Ron said suddenly, beginning to pull Harry forward again. "Or she's gonna keep us here. Harry knew he meant Trelawny, and nodded, but he didn't even take two steps before he stopped again.  
  
"What now?" Ron asked, sounding a bit frustrated. "I'm closer to him. As soon as we moved it was like I was walking in the room I'm looking at." Harry took a step away from Ron and began to turn away.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron asked, sounding confused.  
  
"I'm gonna look around the room." Harry answered, taking small steps back into the class.  
  
"Here?" Ron asked incredulously.  
  
"Ron, I don't know how long I'm gonna be able to see this, I have to while I have the chance," Harry said over his shoulder as he kept walking. He walked right thru the middle of class and Trelawny stopped speaking to the class and addressed Harry.  
  
"You can't tell me you're not seeing anything this time, Mr. Potter. What's going on?"  
  
Harry was about to say he wasn't seeing anything, when he decided she wasn't going to fall for it anymore.  
  
"I'm not sure, really, but I do see something." He was walking around the room with his hands in front of him, shuffling his feet slowly so he didn't trip over anything. In the room he was looking at, there was no one besides Snape in the room. He was now all the way across from where Snape was and couldn't see a door anywhere, just a wall.  
  
"Please," Trelawny spoke up, excitedly, "Tell me what you can see."  
  
Harry thought miserably to himself how he wished she would just shut up, but kept it to himself.  
  
"Like I said, I'm not sure. It's just a bunch of jumbled shapes right now." He had stopped moving now as the wall in front of him in his sight was blocking his path. He held his hand right up in front of him, but couldn't see it, so he took a deep breath, and stepped forward. For a moment he saw nothing, when he realized he must be inside the wall. He took another few steps and came out on the other side. When he looked over his shoulder he could see the wall, still solid behind him. He began moving again. The room he had come out into was empty, with a few candles hanging on the walls. He realized Professor Trelawny was speaking to him again. She sounded aggravated, as if she'd been trying to get his attention for a while.  
  
"Mr. Potter, I asked you why you are moving throughout the room. What is that doing for what you're seeing?"  
  
"Not much," Harry replied quickly. "The shapes keep moving in and out of focus as I move."  
  
"Really?" she replied quickly. "What do they resemble?"  
  
"Nothing yet," he said curtly, and continued walking. He made it halfway down the hallway he was in when he came to the wall of the classroom. He cursed under his breath, and wished he'd had just a little more room. From what he could see, there was nothing but an empty hallway in front of him. He stared down it, hoping to see something that looked familiar, but there was nothing.  
  
He looked to his left, then to his right. Solid walls were on either side of him, but if it hadn't stopped him before, why should it now? He decided to try right first, he took a few steps toward it, then finally into it. When he was through this time a smile spread across his face, he recognized instantly where he was. He was standing in one of the hallways in the dungeon area of Hogwart's. He knew it because it was so close to Snape's office.  
  
Without any warning, the vision of the hallway went painfully bright white. He tried to shut his eyes, but it didn't make a difference. But after only a few seconds, it was gone, and he was staring around the divination classroom again, with every pair of eyes staring back at him in complete silence. He looked at where he was, and saw he had maybe three steps left before he came to the corner and would have run out of room entirely.  
  
"Something wrong?" Trelawny asked, seeming all too eager.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"I need to go to the hospital wing," he said quickly, walking quickly back over to where his things lay on the floor.  
  
"But.but." she started.  
  
"It's gone, whatever it was. I can't see it anymore, my head is pounding, I really need to go," he said anxious to leave but having no intention of going to see Madam Pomfrey. His head wasn't hurting in the least, but he didn't want her to know that.  
  
"Fine," she said, as Harry was already at the trapdoor. "But you won't need any company since you can obviously see again. Mr. Weasley, please take your seat. Ron rolled his eyes and walked back to his desk as Harry half climbed, half jumped down to the hallway below. He took off immediately for the Gryffindor tower.  
  
When he was through the portrait hole, he took the stairs two at a time up to the dorms. Throwing his books on the bed, he flung open his trunk and whipped out the Marauder's Map. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out his wand, and pointed it at the map.  
  
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."  
  
Instantaneously, the map came alive. He looked carefully around the entire dungeon area, but couldn't find Snape's name anywhere. How was this possible? Unless the vision he had seen wasn't right. But something told him it was, indeed, exactly where Snape was trapped. He picked the map up and held it out in front of him, then, only for lack of any other option, he started talking to it.  
  
"Is there anything you aren't showing me? Part of the school that's cut off from the rest, hidden even?"  
  
Harry watched carefully, waiting for any response. For a few moments, nothing happened, then, just as he was about to try again, the image of the school swirled away, leaving a blank piece of paper. Harry got worried for a moment, wondering what he should do, when words started to appear.  
  
"Who wants to know?"  
  
"I do," he said immediately, then felt stupid for saying it, so started again. "My name is Harry Potter. I want to know." He waited, tensely, for the map's response.  
  
"Why do you want to know?" came the next question.  
  
Harry thought for a moment. He wasn't sure what the map was looking for. He knew that he had to be speaking to either his dad, Remus, Sirius, or Pettigrew, but he didn't know which one, or ones, he was speaking with now. Since the four of them were big on practical jokes, he wasn't sure it would lead him in the right direction if he gave a wrong answer. Finally, he decided just to tell the truth.  
  
"Someone is in trouble, in an area of the school that I can't see on the map. But I know it's still part of the school."  
  
The next response was almost immediate.  
  
"Who's in trouble?"  
  
Harry closed his eyes. This wasn't good; he remembered how the map had reacted when Snape had talked to it in his third year. It would certainly recognize his name. He decided, this time, to lie.  
  
"Rubeus Hagrid," he said, saying the first name to pop into his head.  
  
There was no response for quite some time, and Harry was beginning to worry again, when finally another sentence appeared.  
  
"You are lying."  
  
Harry stared at the words for a moment before finding his voice again.  
  
"How." he started, not really wanting to admit he lied, but seeing no other option. "How do you know?"  
  
"Are you going to tell the truth or not?" came the reply. Harry realized that there was no point in pushing his question, or in lying any further.  
  
"Severus Snape," he said quietly.  
  
"In trouble, is he?" came the reply. Harry could almost see the smirk in the words; it was uncanny.  
  
"Yes, he is. Please I know you don't like him, but." he started.  
  
"Don't like him? Why ever would you say that?"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes; this was exactly what he'd been afraid of.  
  
"Please just tell me, can it be done or not?" he asked, a little frustrated.  
  
There was no response this time. He waited over five minutes and still nothing appeared.  
  
"Are you still there?" he asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then why won't you tell me?" he almost shouted.  
  
"You haven't said the password yet."  
  
Harry thought frantically. When Fred and George had given this to him, they only showed him how to turn it on and off; they never mentioned any passwords.  
  
"I don't know the password," Harry said bluntly.  
  
"Too bad," the map replied. Harry glared angrily at the map. There had to be some way around this. He knew the map could show him what he needed, and he didn't know how hurt Snape actually was. He thought for a moment before asking his next question.  
  
"To whom am I speaking with now?"  
  
After another moment, the map finally replied.  
  
"My friends call me Padfoot."  
  
Harry didn't know if this was good or bad, he knew how incredibly stubborn his godfather could be, and it must've been just as bad when he was a teenager as it is now. Not to mention that he was the one who thought it would be 'funny' to send Snape down the secret passage under the Whomping Willow where Remus would be waiting, as a werewolf, on the other side. He figured out of all of them, Sirius would be the least likely to help him find Snape.  
  
"I'd like to speak to Prongs," Harry said.  
  
"How do you know that name?"  
  
"Please can I just speak to him?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
Harry sighed. This was getting him nowhere. If there were a password, maybe Sirius would know what it was. He had no idea how to contact Sirius, though. But with any luck, he would still be somewhere in the castle. Harry ran downstairs, with the map in his hand, and stepped through the portrait hole, towards Dumbledore's office. If Sirius was still here, that's the only place Harry could think to look for him.  
  
When he reached the stone gargoyle he realized there was another problem. Dumbledore always changed the password to his office for the new school year, and since this was only the first day of school, Harry didn't know it yet. He tried in vain for a few minutes, calling out every candy and sweet he could think of, but nothing worked. Finally, he gave up. He sat down against the wall opposite the statue, and picked up the map again. He was a bit surprised to see writing on it, that hadn't been there a moment ago.  
  
"Why did you want to speak to me?"  
  
"Prongs?" he whispered, shakily. Suddenly he felt very nervous. He was actually talking to the memory of his father.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Please," he rushed on, "I need to see any hidden areas of Hogwart's, anything that doesn't normally show on the map. Will you help me?"  
  
"Why do you need to see that?"  
  
Harry was a bit confused; didn't he explain this already? He shook his head and started explaining his reason again.  
  
"Severus Snape is trapped in a room I can't see on here. I don't know how to get there and I'm hoping you can show me a path. Please, I don't know how long he's been there or if he's hurt badly."  
  
There was nothing again for a moment, when finally words began to appear.  
  
"You're not going to show him, are you?"  
  
Harry was a bit confused and was going to ask what this meant, when another sentence formed.  
  
"Padfoot, I like a joke as much as you do, but when someone's life is in danger."  
  
"Someone will find him, let him stew for a while."  
  
"You heard him, Snape may have already been there a while."  
  
The map was talking to itself, he realized. Arguing, actually. It would have been funny if the situation weren't so serious.  
  
"Moony, Wormtail, what do you two think?"  
  
"Leave me out of this one, I want nothing to do with it."  
  
"Wormtail, you coward, alright then, Moony?"  
  
"I think we should show him. There's no point in keeping it a secret from him."  
  
"You're all against me, I see. Fine then, do what you want."  
  
"What did you say your name was?"  
  
It took Harry a minute to realize the map was once again addressing him before he answered.  
  
"Harry. Harry Potter."  
  
"Interesting. Well Harry Potter, nice talking to you, and I hope this helps." Only seconds after the words appeared, they were sucked back into the parchment. The layout of the school appeared once again, but this time, to Harry's surprise, there was not one but several new areas showing. He didn't take time to look over everything carefully now though, he began searching the dungeon area and quickly found Snape's name, in a room by himself.  
  
He glanced up to Dumbledore's office to see that he; Sirius and Remus were all in there. For a moment, he considered waiting for one of them to come out, but in the end decided against that. Snape could be seriously hurt and Harry didn't want to leave him there any longer. Besides that he didn't see any names on the map that didn't belong there. He stood up quickly and headed off down the corridor, to the dungeon area.  
  
As he got down near the dungeon area, he checked the map again. It showed a very long hallway branching off from the corridor he usually took to Snape's office, but running almost completely adjacent to it. What he couldn't understand, is when he was right next to where the map showed the hallway was supposed to start, there was nothing. He looked at the wall in front of him, searching it for any sign that it might open up somehow. He put his hands up and started feeling around for anything, a loose brick, a lever or button in one of the cracks, but there was nothing.  
  
Harry glanced at the map again, and saw something happening. His name was right next to a small outline of a person, holding up a wand. The wand was being waved in a sort of counter-clockwise circular motion. Harry looked at it skeptically, but pulled out his wand. He began moving it in the same motion as the person on the map. After he did it four times, the wall suddenly seemed different, he could still see it in front of him, but he could also see beyond it.  
  
He took a step forward, putting his hand up against the wall, but didn't feel it. It was as if he was touching air. So, he took a deep breath, and stepped through to the other side.  
  
Harry spun around and saw the corridor behind him slowly fading out of view; luckily, the hall he was now in was lined with candles. He wondered briefly how they stayed lit if no one knew about this place and began walking.  
  
After a few minutes, he came to what appeared to be a dead end. This time when he looked at the map, it didn't show anything. He knew this room though; he had been standing in it in his vision, which meant Snape was on the other side of the wall in front of him. He felt up and down the wall, looking for a way through, but again found nothing.  
  
Seeing as how the map wasn't showing him anything this time, he decided to ask for help again.  
  
"Can you tell me how I get through this wall?" He watched in silence, waiting, until finally the picture of the school was sucked into the parchment and words began to form.  
  
"I can tell you how, but first you must tell me why you want to get in."  
  
"I've already told you twice," Harry said, sounding exasperated.  
  
"You didn't tell ME, you must've told one of the others."  
  
Harry shook his head in amazement. He had never thought that while the map was enchanted to contain their personalities and memories, it would allow only one of those personalities to surface at a time, without the others knowing. It was almost living. So once again he explained that he was looking for Snape and why he needed to hurry.  
  
"Are you a friend of his?" the map asked.  
  
"Not exactly, he's a professor here," Harry answered wondering what this had to do with anything. "Will you tell me, please?"  
  
"This was where I used to come, you know. The others never knew about it."  
  
"That's um.nice," Harry said.  
  
"I needed a place like this, to get away from everyone. Not even the instructors seemed to know about it."  
  
"So you must know how to get through then, right? Will you tell me?"  
  
There was nothing for a moment. Harry wasn't sure what he had done, but didn't say anything else. Finally a reply appeared.  
  
"No one ever talked to me much, why should you be any different?" It paused then and Harry almost apologized when it began again. "Fine I'll tell you."  
  
Harry sighed with relief as the words seeped into the paper, and a picture of the school emerged once again. The figure with his name next to it was moving towards the side of the wall where one of the many candles where lit. It picked up one of the candles on the right, walked across the room and placed it in an empty candleholder there. Harry moved quickly, imitating what the map had shown, and watched as the wall in front of him began to separate. 


	3. Chapter 3

The wall seemed to split down the middle, and swung open like two giant doors, causing a cloud of dust to rise up. When he heard the movement stop, as he could no longer see, he began to step forward into the room now open to him. He waved his hand in front of him trying to clear the air, and lit the tip of his wand, as the candlelight was no longer helping.  
  
He moved slowly as the dust settled around him, and finally spotted Snape.  
  
"Professor Snape!" he called, rushing over to him. "Can you hear me?"  
  
Snape didn't make a noise, just hung limply from the chains around his wrists, his knees slightly bent beneath him. Harry looked around, but didn't see a key or anything that could be used to unlock the shackles, so he raised his wand.  
  
"Alohamora."  
  
To his great surprise and relief, the cuffs popped open. He had believed it would've been much harder to get him free, but then he reminded himself, it had been hard enough to find Snape as it was. Whoever put him here must've figured no one would ever get this far. He wondered briefly who would have known about this place and how to get here, but the thought quickly flitted away as Snape began to slide down the wall, to the floor.  
  
Harry reached out quickly, and stopped him before his head hit the ground, and lowered him slowly down to the floor. An awkward feeling came over him as he leaned over Snape's motionless form. Even unconscious, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable around him. He knew the potions master was still alive, but his breathing did not sound good in the least. There was also a very nasty looking gash above his left eye that had been bleeding freely for sometime, as a great deal of blood was dried down the side of his face. Harry knew that he had to take him to Madam Pomfrey immediately.  
  
As he stood up, he thought bitterly how it would've been nice if he knew how to make a stretcher, because he couldn't leave Snape here any longer, so he was going to have to somehow carry him. He put one arm under Snape and put most of his weight on the other foot. He put his wand and the map in his pocket, before slinging Snape's arm around his shoulder. The aching in his muscles from the night before was coming back full force now, but he ignored it. Slowly, he began the walk back through the corridor.  
  
When at last he reached the wall that would lead back to the main corridor, he stopped and pulled out his wand. He began waving it in the same motion as before but nothing happened, so he instinctively tried the opposite direction. Once again the wall became semi- transparent, and he slowly dragged Snape and himself through it. After he looked to see that the wall had closed again, he set off in the direction of the hospital wing.  
  
No sooner had he turned his first corner, then he ran into a group of Slytherins on their way to their dorms. Harry recognized a few of them as the ones that had to stay for part of the summer, and his stomach twisted slightly.  
  
"Look who it is," he heard one of them mutter as the came closer to him.  
  
"What are you doing down here? And what have you done to Professor Snape?" a Slytherin girl asked.  
  
"I found him like this and I'm taking him to the hospital wing," Harry panted, somewhat out of breath. "Please just let me through." He had come to a complete stop as the Slytherins were blocking the entire hall.  
  
"What's going on?" came another voice. A few of the Slytherins parted and Harry could see Draco Malfoy coming up behind them. Great, he thought, could this get any worse? Draco was now standing directly in front of Harry looking from him to Snape.  
  
"Look he's hurt!" Harry said loudly. "I'm sure you can see that! So just get out of the way so I can get him to the hospital wing."  
  
Draco glared at him for a few minutes looking furious. Harry had no idea what he could possibly be angry about this time but he didn't care, he just wanted him out of his path so he could move. Snape's weight was really beginning to pull him down and his muscles were not cooperating. He felt just as stiff as he had when he woke up the night before in the hospital wing. Then just as Harry was about to try and push his way past, Draco stepped aside.  
  
Harry looked at him in shock for a moment before beginning to walk again. He was even more surprised and almost tripped when Draco put Snape's free arm around his shoulder and started moving with him. While this behavior was very confusing, he didn't say anything. At this moment he welcomed any help he could get. The two of them carried Snape away from the gawking Slytherins and down the hall.  
  
They made it all the way to the hospital wing without any more encounters. When the two of them came through the double doors Madam Pomfrey came running over immediately.  
  
"My goodness! Professor Snape!" she said, looking very upset. She used her wand, lifted Snape up out of their grasp and over to a bed, where she gently placed him down. While she was checking him over and tending to his wound, Harry slumped down on the floor where he stood. He sat cross-legged, unable to stand any longer, shaking in the slightest with fatigue. Draco stood where he was, looking from where Snape was laying to Harry and back again. His expression was unreadable.  
  
When Madam Pomfrey finally tore herself away from Snape she turned to see Harry on the floor. She gave Malfoy a reproachful look and helped Harry up and into a chair nearby.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked, looking concerned. "Do you need to lie down?"  
  
Harry shook his head, while looking at Malfoy smirking at him from the corner of his eye.  
  
"No, I'm fine, just a little tired. I should go tell Professor Dumbledore that Professor Snape is here," he said beginning to stand.  
  
"You stay right where you are," she said gently pushing him back into the chair. "I'll go tell the headmaster and when I get back I'm going to want to check you over as well, so don't move." She gave him a stern look, but smiled a little anyway, before walking out of the wing.  
  
"Can't have you leaving without your daily checkup now, can we?" Malfoy sneered as soon as Madam Pomfrey was out of earshot.  
  
"Why are you still here?" Harry asked glaring at him.  
  
"What, no thank you? You would've been passed out with him in a hallway somewhere if I hadn't helped you."  
  
"Oh and I'm sure that's the reason you helped," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "You were just looking out for me. Go on, tell me another one." He wished very much that he could keep his hands steady, he hated for Malfoy to see him like this.  
  
Malfoy didn't say anything to that, but instead asked another question.  
  
"So, where did you find Snape?"  
  
"In his office," Harry lied quickly. He was sure it didn't sound convincing, but he wasn't going to tell Malfoy where he really found him.  
  
"Why were you down there?" Malfoy asked so quickly Harry had the impressions he was expecting that to have been the answer. "We all knew he was missing. What reason would you have to go there?"  
  
Harry eyed him suspiciously for a moment, before speaking.  
  
"Why did you help me?" he asked quietly.  
  
Malfoy didn't answer again, just looked at Harry. After a few moments of silence he opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as the doors to the hospital wing burst open.  
  
Sirius came in and rushed over to Harry first thing. Dumbledore and Lupin came in as well, followed by Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked as he reached his godson.  
  
"I'm fine," Harry said, looking into his worried eyes. "I'm just a little tired." He looked over Sirius' shoulder to see Dumbledore had walked over to where Snape was laying and was speaking quietly with Madam Pomfrey. Remus was right next to him, listening intently, and Malfoy was still standing where he had been, but now he was glaring at Sirius, who hadn't yet noticed his presence.  
  
"What time is it?" he asked.  
  
"Everyone's just finishing dinner," Sirius answered. Harry's jaw dropped. He knew he was going to miss lunch, but he hadn't intended on skipping his last class of the day. It hadn't felt like he had been gone that long. Sirius stood up as Dumbledore and Remus came over to them, and finally noticed Draco standing nearby.  
  
"What's he doing here?" he said jerking a thumb at him and not bothering to mask the disgust in his voice. Malfoy looked as if he were going to reply when Harry cut him off.  
  
"He helped me bring Snape here. We came from the dungeon area with him."  
  
"Thank you both very much," Dumbledore said, smiling lightly. "I am awarding fifty points to both Slytherin and Gryffindor. You both saved his life tonight."  
  
Harry thought this was unfair as he had done most of the work, but kept his mouth shut about it. Instead he thanked the headmaster, knowing he would tell what had happened after Malfoy left.  
  
As if reading his mind, Dumbledore spoke up again.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, if you are alright, you should be getting back to your tower now. Mr. Potter, you will need to stay so Madam Pomfrey can look over you once more."  
  
Draco didn't appear too pleased with that suggestion. He had wanted to hear where Harry found Snape, and now that chance was gone. But he just nodded at Dumbledore, mumbling his thanks and gave one more glare at Sirius who still hadn't taken his eyes away from him, before walking towards the doors and leaving the room.  
  
Sirius stood watching as Draco walked away and didn't take his eyes off him until the doors had completely shut behind him, then he turned back to the others.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore began, gently. "I know you've been through a great deal in the last twenty-four hours, but we will need to know what happened. Madam Pomfrey is going to check you over and then, if you are well enough, I want you to come up to my office so we can talk about what happened."  
  
"I'm sure I'm well enough," Harry said quickly, not wanting to spend another night in the hospital wing. "Just a little tired, that's all. And hungry," he added as he felt twinges of hunger pain.  
  
"Very well," Dumbledore said, then turned to Lupin. "Remus please stay here with him until Poppy completes her check up, then I would like both of you to come upstairs. Sirius," he continued turning, "please come with me now."  
  
Sirius looked at Dumbledore, obviously not wanting to leave, but nodded anyway. He said good-bye to the others and the two of them left the ward together.  
  
"Well, lets get this over with," Harry said, standing up. He stopped abruptly, swaying on his feet, and Remus jumped forward, reaching out a hand to steady him.  
  
"I'm okay, I'm okay," Harry said grasping onto Remus' arm and even laughing a little. "Just stood up too quickly, that's all."  
  
"Let's just get you over to Madam Pomfrey and make sure that's all," Remus said, seriously. He helped Harry over to where Madam Pomfrey was again tending to Snape. Harry sat down on a chair nearby and waited until she was finished and came over.  
  
"Is he going to be okay?" Harry asked nodding towards Snape. He looked up at Madam Pomfrey who glanced quickly at Remus before turning back to Harry.  
  
"Don't worry yourself about it right now, let's just make sure you're okay."  
  
"Wait, what?" Harry asked, wide-eyed. "He IS going to be okay, right?"  
  
"Harry," Remus said, "Just let her check you over now, then we will go and speak with Dumbledore, alright?"  
  
Harry slowly nodded, though now he was feeling sick. Had he been too late? He knew Snape was still alive but he didn't know what was wrong with him. Since there seemed no chance of anyone telling him now though, he sat back and resigned himself to Madam Pomfrey's poking and prodding.  
  
When Madam Pomfrey was finished with Harry, and had given him a potion to ease the aches he was feeling, she told him he was free to go. He thanked her, grateful for not being told he'd have to stay overnight, gave another look towards where Snape was laying, then turned to follow Remus out of the ward. They walked towards Dumbledore's office as quickly as possible. He wanted to ask again what had happened to Snape, but knew he would only be told to wait, so decided to say nothing.  
  
When they finally reached the stone gargoyle, Remus gave the password, 'nutmeg' and they walked in together. Harry saw Sirius, who had been pacing in front of the fireplace; turn abruptly as they entered the office. Relief swept over his face.  
  
"Thank God you're okay," he said coming over to where Harry stood. He put his hands on his godson's shoulders and Harry could see how worried he had been.  
  
"Sirius, please," Dumbledore said from across the room. He was standing near his desk and smiling at them. "Let Harry come in and have something to eat, then we can find out what happened."  
  
Harry's ears perked up when Dumbledore said 'eat.' He looked past his godfather to see a large plate of food on the table in the center of the room. His stomach rumbled loudly now as almost a full day of no food was catching up to him. He thanked Dumbledore quickly, sat down in front of the plate and began eating ravenously. Remus and Dumbledore both took seats, while Sirius stood and just watched his godson. It was more than obvious how much he thought of him as his own son, which Harry had no complaints about. He sometimes wished Sirius wouldn't treat him like he was fragile, but he'd never say that. He loved the time they spent together and would rather it be that way, then the total lack of compassion he always received from the Dursley's.  
  
When the plate was completely empty, Harry sat back and let out a very contented sigh. He looked around the room and saw that everyone was watching him, waiting for him to be ready.  
  
"Okay," he said, sitting up slowly, leaning back into the chair. "I'll tell you what happened."  
  
Harry began by explaining about what had happened in Trelawny's classroom. Starting with how his eyes began to burn and water, and then how badly his head hurt. He told them how the pain vanished suddenly after at least ten minutes and how he couldn't see anything at first.  
  
"I thought I was blind," he said. "And I didn't know if it was magic or if it was real." He sat there not saying anything for a moment, remembering how his first impulse had been to panic and the feeling came back to him in full for a moment. What was happening to him? Was this some side effect of Lunis, or something else? He was thankfully stirred out of his thoughts, however, by Dumbledore's voice.  
  
"What happened then?" he prodded gently.  
  
"I went to go to the hospital wing, with Ron's help. But before I could leave the classroom, the blackness that I was seeing slowly lightened, and I saw Professor Snape. He was chained up and I didn't know where, it was someplace I hadn't seen before."  
  
He continued on telling them how he had been able to move around the room and change the view of what he was seeing.  
  
"I was able to walk through walls in the vision, but not where I was, physically. That's the only reason I was able to figure out he was in Hogwart's. When I ran out of space in the classroom, I walked thru the wall next to me in the vision and recognized the hallway near Professor Snape's office."  
  
"He was that close this entire time?" Lupin said, sounding amazed and angry. Harry nodded.  
  
"He must've been, but I have no idea how whoever put him there knew about the room he was in."  
  
"How did you find it?" Sirius asked, sounding bewildered.  
  
"Well, as soon as I figured out where Snape was, the vision was gone. There was no pain or burning left at all and I told Professor Trelawny I needed to go to the hospital wing," he said, slowly, realizing he was admitting he had lied to one of his instructors. When he looked up, Dumbledore was just grinning at him, mischievously. He felt relieved seeing this and continued speaking.  
  
"The first thing I did, was head back to the Gryffindor tower. I wanted to check the Marauder's Map."  
  
"I can't believe I didn't think of that!" Remus exclaimed, angrily. "I'd completely forgotten you had it."  
  
"Well, it didn't work. Not right away, at least. I checked it this morning when I got back to the tower and it didn't show anything."  
  
"What did you do?" Sirius asked, smirking at Harry. Harry had the distinct feeling Sirius knew exactly what he had done.  
  
"I opened the map again, and still it didn't show Snape, but this time I knew he was there. I remember when Snape caught me with the map once, when it was closed, and he talked to it. It replied to him, so I decided to try it too. I asked it to show me any areas of the school that can't normally be seen. You replied first," he said looking at Sirius.  
  
"Did I?" Sirius asked, with a huge grin on his face now. "What did I say?"  
  
Harry shook his head, feigning disgust, but smiled.  
  
"You know you were impossible when you were my age, don't you?"  
  
Sirius actually laughed out loud at this and Harry tried to glare at him, but couldn't keep it. He smiled and shook his head before continuing.  
  
"You asked me who I was and why I wanted to know," Harry said. "When I said that someone was in trouble, you wanted to know who. I tried to lie and say it was Hagrid."  
  
"Hagrid! Tell me I didn't fall for that?" Sirius asked, looking so serious all of a sudden that Harry laughed.  
  
"No, you didn't. You basically told me right out that I was lying. But when I did say that it was to help Snape, you got very stubborn. You told me you wouldn't say anything unless I gave you a password. What IS the blasted password by the way?" Harry asked, remembering how much trouble it was trying to get any info out of the map Sirius.  
  
Sirius was looking at him, still laughing a little but also seeming confused.  
  
"There is no password," he said fighting back another fit of laughter, threatening to escape. Remus was shaking his head in disgust across the room.  
  
"Do you see how horrible you were?" he asked, mock reprimanding Sirius. "Wouldn't even show your own godson the full map."  
  
"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, pretending to be hurt. "It's not like he was my godson then, how could I have known?"  
  
Dumbledore was looking back and forth at the two men smiling, then turned his attention back to Harry.  
  
"What happened then?" he asked.  
  
"First I tried to get Sirius, should I call him Padfoot?" he asked looking around. Then without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Yes, it's less confusing for me that way. So I tried to get Padfoot to show me the hidden areas anyway, but he wouldn't do it, so I asked to speak with Prongs."  
  
"What did I.er, Padfoot say?" Sirius asked, very interested.  
  
"He asked how I knew the name and why I wanted to speak with him. I didn't want to tell him because trying to get information from him was like pulling teeth, so I didn't answer."  
  
"Pulling teeth?" Remus asked. "Why would anyone do that?"  
  
"Um.it's something that muggles have to do when." Harry began, then changed his mind, "let's not talk about it, just know it hurts because they can't use magic. It's only a muggle expression, anyway."  
  
"Oh." Remus said, nodding. Harry kept a laugh to himself and continued.  
  
"I decided to try to find one of you guys, since it was your map and I was under the impression I needed a password," Harry said, throwing Sirius another glare. His godfather just grinned back.  
  
"I came up here because this is the only place I could think to find you. At least," he said, looking at Sirius, "if you were still at the school, anyway. But I didn't know the password to get in, and after guessing for several minutes, I gave up."  
  
"You were right there? We could have helped you!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"Well I had no way to get to you, and you didn't know I was there. As far as you knew I was in the north tower with Professor Trelawny."  
  
Sirius still appeared angry over this, but kept his thoughts to himself.  
  
"Anyway, when I looked at the map again, there was a new reply," Harry continued. The feeling he had gotten from talking to his father was coming back to him. A smile broke out on his face as he thought about it. It was, after all, the closest he'd ever come to a conversation with his dad.  
  
"Was it James?" Remus asked, seeing the look on Harry's face.  
  
"Yes. He asked why I wanted to speak with him," he started, then stopped when he thought of something else. "Why would he ask that? I already explained it to Padfoot, wouldn't Prongs know too?"  
  
"Not necessarily," Sirius answered. "When we created that map we made it so all of our personalities and memories were contained within it, but as separate entities. If you were only talking to only one of us, the others wouldn't know unless whomever you spoke to told them. I obviously didn't say anything about you to James, other than that you wanted to speak with him."  
  
Harry nodded at him, thinking it made more sense now, before continuing.  
  
"He asked me my name too. When I told him, all he said was 'interesting'."  
  
Harry paused, looking to Sirius or Remus for an explanation, but neither of them offered one, so he went on.  
  
"Padfoot came back into the conversation and argued with Prongs for a moment, telling him not to show me the map. When they were at a bit of a standstill, they asked Wormtail and Moony for their opinions. Wormtail wouldn't say anything, and Padfoot called him a coward."  
  
Sirius burst out in laughter again over this, Remus was laughing was well.  
  
"And what did I do?" he asked Harry.  
  
"You agreed with Prongs."  
  
"Traitor," Sirius said quietly. Remus shot him an insulted look and Sirius looked up at the ceiling, innocently. Harry just laughed at the two of them going on.  
  
"In any case, Padfoot finally gave in and I was shown the full map. I saw Snape's name on it right away. I would have waited for one of you to come down, because now I could see you were all in here, but I wasn't sure how long you'd be. So I started down there alone."  
  
Harry told them how he was able to find the secret entrance to the hallway that led to the room Snape was in, and also how at first it seemed to be a dead end.  
  
"There was nothing in front of me, and the map wasn't showing a way through, so I asked it for help."  
  
"Who answered you?" Remus asked.  
  
"Well, I'm sure it wasn't Padfoot or Prongs, because I was again asked why I wanted to get through. I think it was Wormtail. He said he used to go to that place when he wanted to be alone. When I asked him how to get through again, he seemed insulted that I wanted to rush through our talk, but showed me anyway."  
  
Remus and Sirius exchanged a look across the room, and Harry glanced back and forth between the two of them, waiting.  
  
"Please go on, Harry," Sirius said at last, nodding at him.  
  
Harry told them how he got through the wall and found Snape. And how he got him out of the chains, but had to carry him back through the hallway. He went on to say how he had run into a group of Slytherins that seemed anxious to blame him for Snape's condition, and then how Malfoy had shown up.  
  
"Then the rest you know. We brought Snape here, and Madam Pomfrey went to find all of you."  
  
He stopped talking and looked at the faces around the room, before asking a question that had been bothering him for a while.  
  
"What's wrong with Snape? Will he be alright?" He was looking at Dumbledore, who was staring straight back at him, looking grim.  
  
"Professor Snape is in good hands. He was hurt quite badly, and would surely have died if you hadn't found him."  
  
"But he'll be okay?" he pressed on, anxiously.  
  
"I can't answer that now. There's no way to know exactly what was done until he awakens, if he is able to remember."  
  
Harry nodded, feeling all the guilt rush back at him. He didn't especially like Snape, but people being hurt to get to him was almost more than he could handle. He looked up when he heard Dumbledore speak again.  
  
"Harry, I have to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest with me. The feeling you told us about, before you had the vision of Snape, have you ever experienced anything similar to that before?"  
  
Harry nodded, slowly, avoiding Sirius' eyes.  
  
"When?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Very early morning on my birthday," Harry answered, looking down. He could feel Sirius looking at him, and he prepared himself for the outburst. Instead he heard something he hadn't expected.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius asked quietly. Harry looked up at him to see he was hurt, and it was worse than being yelled at. He hated to disappoint his godfather and wished he had a better explanation then what he was about to say.  
  
"I didn't think anything of it," he said, then quickly rushed on as Sirius opened his mouth to say something, "I was going to if it ever happened again! But until earlier today, that was the only time and it was over a month ago. I didn't have a vision that time though. My eyes were burning and my head hurt, but that was it."  
  
"You said it happened early in the morning?" Dumbledore asked. Harry looked at him and nodded.  
  
"Yes, I remember looking at the time when the pain stopped, it was a little after 5 am. Why?" he asked.  
  
He watched as Dumbledore stroked his beard, and waited, Sirius and Remus were staring at him as well.  
  
"I believe you have inherited the same gift that Lily had. She too had visions, which started in her last year at Hogwart's."  
  
Harry's jaw dropped, this was not what he'd expected to hear.  
  
"My mother?" he asked, weakly. He was shocked and elated all at once. Slowly, a big grin spread over his face. He had a few things that had belonged to his father, and now, finally, something from his mother. Even if he couldn't touch it, he would always know it was hers.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, looking confused. Harry glanced around and was surprised to see neither Remus nor his godfather seemed to have any idea what Dumbledore was talking about. Dumbledore looked at the two men, then at Harry, before continuing.  
  
"It doesn't come as a shock to me that she didn't tell you, not even James knew until after they were engaged. Lily never liked anyone to know about it and usually only by accident would someone find out."  
  
"How would someone find out by accident?" Remus asked.  
  
"Because the visions are uncontrollable. Just as Harry found out this morning. It doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing, it can happen at anytime. Now, the reason I wanted to know when you first felt it was because Lily's first experience with it was on her 17th birthday as well, at the exact moment that she was born. I'd be willing to bet you were woken up by the pain at 5:09am on the dot."  
  
"It would make sense," Harry said. "It was close enough to that time when I looked. Is it going to be painful every time, though?" he asked.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head and smiled.  
  
"No, only the first couple of times. You're eyes will still feel hot, and possibly itch some, but that is from the shifting."  
  
"Shifting?" Harry asked.  
  
"When your vision shifts, whatever you're seeing in front of you at that moment shifts out of view, and the vision comes to you. The vision will only leave, when you feel you've seen what you need to. That's why as soon as you recognized you were in Hogwart's earlier, the vision left and you were able to see the classroom you were in again."  
  
"Why do they come though?"  
  
"To be honest, they can come for any number of reasons. Today the one you received was because someone you knew was in trouble and needed help. The visions don't always tell you everything though, as you wouldn't have been able to get to Professor Snape if you hadn't had the map."  
  
"I can't believe Lily wouldn't tell us about this," Sirius spoke up.  
  
"People are entitled to their secrets," Dumbledore answered. "It was by luck that no one was around the first time it happened, as the first time there is no vision. The power opens itself to you, but that is all. The second time she did have a vision, and just as you did, Harry, she figured out how to move through the vision to see what she needed to."  
  
"How did you find out about this, if my mother didn't like to tell anyone?" Harry asked.  
  
Dumbledore sat back in his chair and had an amused grin on his face. He stroked his beard for a moment, remembering what had happened that day.  
  
"Lily was with me the second time, for her first real vision. She had asked to see me to tell me about what had happened the night before, when she first felt the pain. While she was explaining it to me, she began to wipe at her eyes, as if they were irritating her, I thought she was crying at first. When I asked her what was wrong, she said it was happening again, the same feeling from the night before."  
  
Harry was sitting forward on his chair, intently hanging on every word Dumbledore was saying. He realized how very little he'd been told about his mother until this point and couldn't help himself from pressuring Dumbledore on.  
  
"What did she say then? Did she tell you what her vision was?" he asked.  
  
Dumbledore's shoulders shook slightly, and Harry knew he was laughing at something.  
  
"What?" he asked, smiling now, as well. "What did she see?"  
  
Sirius and Remus were looking on in amusement.  
  
"As I said before, these visions don't always show you things that are horrible, and this was one of those times. Lily saw Lucius Malfoy, sneaking out to the shed where quidditch players have the option to store their brooms if they choose. He tried to put a hex on James' broom, as there was a match between Gryffindor and Slytherin the next day."  
  
"And you find this funny?" Remus asked, sounding both amused and confused.  
  
"Well, Lily of course wasn't going to stand by and let this happen, she was beside herself with anger shouting at someone I couldn't see. So as soon as the vision disappeared, she explained what she had seen to me. Then she marched herself out there and caught him in the act. Being head girl, she was able to deduct points from Slytherin."  
  
"How many did she take?" Harry asked, smiling at the thought.  
  
"Fifty."  
  
Harry sank into his chair, laughing. He could just see Lucius' face, thinking he was all alone and then his mum showing up out of nowhere, taking points from his house.  
  
"Seeing as how what Lucius was doing was potentially very dangerous, I allowed the fifty point deduction to stand," Dumbledore continued.  
  
"If it had been me it would've been one hundred and fifty!" Sirius said fiercely. "That scu.m always tried to cheat at quidditch and never stopped looking for a chance to hurt James."  
  
"How often did she have the visions?" Harry asked, sitting back up.  
  
"They were rare. She had a few during the first year, then they slowly tapered off. She never lost the power but as I said, it's uncontrollable."  
  
Harry sat for a moment, thinking about this.  
  
"Too bad she couldn't bring them on when she wanted to, otherwise." Sirius said then trailed off.  
  
"She might have been able to see Voldemort coming, that night." Remus finished for him.  
  
Harry was dumbstruck, until that moment he hadn't even thought of the possibility. Everyone sat in silence for a moment, thinking about what had just been said, until at last, Dumbledore spoke up.  
  
"It does us no good to dwell on things like that. The fact is she could not see things at will, and there's nothing we can do to change that."  
  
"But why do you think, she wouldn't have seen it?" Harry asked, not ready to let the subject go.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore began gently, "there was no way to control."  
  
"But this was something horrible, lives were in danger!" Harry cut him off. "What causes these visions to come if not that? Now they're dead and knowing it was going to happen could have prevented it!" he shouted.  
  
Dumbledore met Harry's angry gaze and waited for him to calm down before continuing.  
  
"That is what causes a vision, but not always. You didn't have a vision before Gridman hit you with the curse, did you?" Dumbledore asked. Harry looked at him for a moment, before shaking his head no.  
  
"Then you see, even in the times of greatest danger, it doesn't always happen. You had the ability, but nothing came of it. It is uncontrollable."  
  
Harry nodded, trying to push what could have been out of his mind, when another thought occurred to him.  
  
"It's true I didn't have a vision that night, but I did know something was wrong," he told them.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.  
  
"I mean that from the moment I saw Gridman, I didn't trust him. I couldn't eat and my hands were shaking, I wasn't afraid of him but I just knew something wasn't right."  
  
"Did you?" Dumbledore asked, sounding very intrigued. "Strange."  
  
"You don't know what it means then?" Harry asked after a minute. He'd been sure that after all the answers Dumbledore had provided for him recently, that he'd have one for this as well. Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"At this time, no. It could've just been a coincidence, but something makes me doubt that is the case. For the time being, don't think too hard on it, but do let us know if it happens again. That goes for anything out of the ordinary, any visions, feelings, anything at all that seems strange. Understood?" Dumbledore asked looking sternly at Harry. Sirius and Remus were looking at him expectantly as well.  
  
"Yes, I understand," he told them with a sigh. He longed for the day when all of this would no longer be necessary.  
  
"Thank you," Dumbledore said, smiling.  
  
It had been a long day, and even though it wasn't too late, Harry was still very tired. At least he wasn't feeling as stiff thanks to the medicine Madam Pomfrey had given him. He stood up, and gave a huge stretch, before talking.  
  
"If it's alright with you, I'm going to head back to the tower now, I need to talk with Hermione and Ron about what I missed in the last class today anyway," then he stopped to think for a moment before continuing. "I don't even know which class it was." He shook his head; laughing to himself over how unorganized he seemed to be this year.  
  
"Do you want me to come with you?" Sirius asked standing up.  
  
"No, I'll be fine. But what I would like is for one of you to tell me as soon as you hear something about Snape."  
  
"Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected him. "And I promise you we will."  
  
Harry nodded at him, and grinned.  
  
"Well, good night then! I'll see you tomorrow," he said turning towards the door, then stopped as another thought occurred to him. "Sirius, will you be going home?" he asked.  
  
Sirius shook his head.  
  
"No, not yet at least. After last night I want to be close to the school and you. That never should have happened," he said, angrily.  
  
"Sirius, not now please," Dumbledore said quickly, then turned to Harry. "Good night, Mr. Potter."  
  
Harry left the office and started off down the hall. His mind was full of thoughts from the day. He wanted to know how Gridman was able to get in and pass for a student teacher, and how the shapeshifter knew about that back room. Then he thought of the potions class that morning, and the new instructor, Professor Gazten. Could he trust her, or did the same people who got Gridman into the school send her too?  
  
Harry was so caught up in his thoughts, that he never noticed he was being followed.  
  
Soon he was turning the last corner, and he could see the portrait of the fat lady at the end of the hall. He shook all the thought he had been mulling over out of his head and realized Ron and Hermione would probably want to hear everything. He groaned remembering how he promised them he would tell them everything that had happened tonight, but he knew they wouldn't let him wait any longer to explain. So he sighed heavily as he resigned himself to the idea he'd be doing a lot of explaining that evening.  
  
There were only a few more steps until he reached the portrait now, when he felt a cold hand close over his wrist. He inhaled sharply, turning around and thrusting his hand in his robes for his wand, when he saw who it was.  
  
"Dobby!" he cried, relief sweeping through him. "You scared me, what were you doing creeping around like that?"  
  
Dobby stared up at him, his big eyes full of fear.  
  
"Dobby didn't want to bother Harry Potter. But had to check if Harry Potter was okay."  
  
"Of course I'm okay, Dobby, and you wouldn't have been bothering me," Harry said, smiling down at the small elf.  
  
"Dobby heard you was hurt, by the bad man. Bad man tried to kill Harry Potter."  
  
Harry looked at him for a moment, considering, and decided not to lie.  
  
"Yes he did," he said, then quickly rushed on seeing the look on Dobby's face, "but it didn't work, see? I'm here, alive and well, so you don't need to worry."  
  
Dobby smiled up at him, as if just now realizing Harry hadn't died. He thrust himself forward and hugged Harry's legs fiercely.  
  
"Dobby will watch out for Harry Potter from now on! No one will hurt him!"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes, remembering how things could get when Dobby tried to 'protect' him from harm. He quickly grinned again when Dobby released his legs, he didn't want to hurt his feelings.  
  
"Thank you Dobby, but I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me at all, okay?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Harry Potter must be kept safe and Dobby will help!" Dobby proclaimed proudly, ignoring Harry's question. He glanced around suddenly, looking up and down the hall suspiciously. "Dobby must go now! Will check for any bad men!" he said, then looked at Harry once more. "Harry Potter should get inside, where it's safe," he said.  
  
Harry just nodded at him, hoping this wouldn't get out of hand later. He turned to the portrait, called out the password and stepped inside, waving good-bye as Dobby scampered off down the hall.  
  
The moment he stepped through the doorway, Ron and Hermione were across the room and at his side.  
  
"What happened?" Hermione exclaimed breathlessly. "Are you alright? Why didn't you show up for class? We thought someone got to you or that you were hurt or."  
  
"Hermione!" Harry said loudly. Half the room was already turning to stare at her outburst. He looked around self consciously, leading his friends over to an empty corner of the room. Ginny came over to join them and when they were all seated, Ron was the first to speak.  
  
"Where did you go after you left Trelawny's before?" he asked. "Because I know it wasn't the hospital wing."  
  
"I found Snape," Harry told them.  
  
"You did? Where?" Ron whispered.  
  
"Wait!" Hermione said quickly, they all turned to look at her. "Harry, I do want to hear how you found Snape, but please, I need you to tell me what happened from yesterday. You didn't die when the Avada Kedavra curse hit you and while I'm happier than you know over this I need to know why!" she finished, breathlessly. Her face was flushed and she looked very upset.  
  
Harry met her gaze and slowly nodded, he knew this was coming anyway.  
  
"Before I start, I just want to say something. There is a lot to tell, and it's going to take a while. So just listen to everything I'm going to say before you ask your questions, okay?" He looked at each of them in turn and they nodded in response. So he took a deep breath, and started his story.  
  
Harry looked around at the pale faces of his friends. His throat was very dry from talking for almost two hours. He was glad they knew though, it made him feel better that he wouldn't go through this alone. As he sat back in the plush chair he had been sitting on the edge of, he waited for someone to speak. Glancing around, he noticed the common room was mostly empty now as it was late and there was school tomorrow, and he remembered he still had to catch up on whatever class he had missed earlier.  
  
"Well," Ron spoke up, breaking the silence. "It isn't as bad as we thought at least. I mean, they can't kill you, right?"  
  
"As long as they don't know how," Harry answered.  
  
"What if they do figure it out?" Hermione asked, worriedly.  
  
Harry looked into her red, puffy eyes, wishing she wouldn't get so worked up over everything.  
  
"Hermione, what do you think?" he asked gently. "I've spent the last few years thinking they were able to kill me anyway, and I've been able to avoid it every time."  
  
"But not yesterday!" she cried. "Yesterday you would have died. They succeeded! Don't you see that? I'm incredibly happy that you didn't die because of Lunis, but the fact is they did manage to get someone here under Dumbledore's nose and perform the Avada Kedavra curse on you! If they were able to do it once." she trailed off, looking up at the ceiling. She was trying very hard not to cry.  
  
"They still don't know how to do it," Harry answered evenly.  
  
"But they know how not to," Ginny spoke up finally.  
  
Everyone turned to look at her; she usually wasn't much for speaking in their little discussions.  
  
"It's only a matter of time before they figure it out," she said in a lower voice. "Dumbledore can't be the only wizard that knows what Lunis is and how it works. One way or another, the information is going to get back to.to." she trailed off, looking fixedly at her hands.  
  
Harry didn't say anything to this, he knew she meant Voldemort, and he had no argument for it. If anything she was right. Finally, after a few moments of awkward silence, he stood up.  
  
"I agree," he said quietly. "He could very easily find out, but I have no way of stopping him. All I can do is hope he doesn't, and if he does." he trailed off. He really didn't know the answer so he shook his head, as if ending the subject. "I'm going to bed, see you in the morning."  
  
Ron stood up with him and said goodnight as well, then turned and followed Harry upstairs.  
  
The next morning Harry was awake before anyone else. He lay in his four-poster trying to get back to sleep, but it was no use. So he slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed, staring at the floor. After a few minutes, he reached for his glasses and stood up. There was a lovely breeze coming in through the window, even though there was still no sign of the sun. He stood, looking out at the grounds, completely quiet and tranquil so early in the morning.  
  
Finally he decided he would go and see how Snape was doing. He pulled out his robes and dressed quickly; then, as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the others, he crept out of the room and down the stairs.  
  
When he stepped through the portrait hole and into the hall, he was surprised at how cold it felt. But then he told himself; the sun couldn't really reach the hallway, so put his arms around himself and began walking. He wondered briefly if he could get in trouble for being out in the halls now. It was morning, but very early. He decided to chance it, as he didn't think it would be too much of a problem.  
  
As he reached the doors to the hospital wing, he slowly pushed them open. The familiar scent of medicine stung his nose, and he was glad that he was only here visiting this time. Glancing towards the office, he saw Madam Pomfrey was not there. Maybe she's checking over Snape again, he thought, or maybe she even sleeps. He laughed to himself over that as he shut the door quietly behind him.  
  
He started towards the area where he saw Snape the night before the curtains were mostly drawn around the bed. As he stepped closer he reached out a hand to draw back the curtains, when he heard someone's voice, and froze. Whoever it was, they were inside the enclosing with Snape.  
  
Harry moved to the edge and peered cautiously around to see if he could get a glimpse of the person, and let out a short gasp.  
  
Professor Gazten was sitting next to Snape's bed, and was whispering softly, in a language Harry didn't recognize. But she heard Harry's gasp, and jerked her head up suddenly, looking directly at him. When she did this he saw something that made him take a step back, her eyes were completely white.  
  
Almost instantly she was out of her chair, she reached forward and pulled the curtains back so Harry could see her fully. He noticed right away, her eyes were back to normal.  
  
"Can I help you?" she asked, looking at Harry. She didn't seem angry, but she wasn't smiling either.  
  
Harry tried to speak but his voice failed him. What was she doing here? He glanced down at Snape's pale form, then back up at Gazten. She was looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.  
  
"I was just coming to see how Professor Snape was doing," he said finally, then before he could stop himself, continued, "Why are you here?"  
  
She met his gaze and held it before answering.  
  
"Same as you," she replied casually. She sat back down in her seat, pushing her dark red hair away from her face, before folding her hands in front of her. Harry stood watching, waiting for something to happen. Had she been trying to hurt Snape? He wanted to go and tell someone, but he didn't want to leave her alone with him. Where was Madam Pomfrey, anyway? "Aren't you up a little early?" she asked him, stirring him out of his thoughts. "It's barely five in the morning."  
  
"I couldn't sleep," he said carefully, not taking his eyes away from her. "How about you?"  
  
Gazten smiled at him now, before replying.  
  
"I don't get much sleep, I'm somewhat of a night owl, really."  
  
"Why don't you get much sleep?" Harry asked, truly curious.  
  
"I don't need it," she shrugged. Harry was still confused but didn't ask any more about it, he was more concerned with why she was there than her sleeping habits. He saw a chair nearby, pulled it over, and sat on the opposite side of the bed, looking across at her. The two of them sat in silence, watching each other under the pretense of looking at Snape, until Gazten finally broke the silence.  
  
"You don't trust me, do you?" she asked.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Harry replied quickly.  
  
"Harry, just looking at your face anyone would be able to tell," she laughed. "But I understand as well. I wouldn't trust any strangers if I were in your shoes either. I hope you can believe me when I tell you that I'm on your side."  
  
Harry looked into her eyes, remembering how strange they had looked only a few moments ago. He wanted very badly to believe her, but a little voice in the back of his head was nagging at him, telling him not to. He didn't want a repeat of last year, when he had trusted Tytros, and ended up in the Riddle house.  
  
When he noticed she was waiting for a response, he just nodded at her; sure that it wasn't a very convincing gesture. He decided he would ask Dumbledore about her later, if he trusted her, then maybe Harry could begin to.  
  
"Where's Madam Pomfrey?" he asked suddenly. It was very unlike her to leave a patient unattended for so long.  
  
"I told her to get some rest, since Severus is the only patient for the time being, I offered to keep watch on him."  
  
I'll bet, Harry thought. What was she trying to do to Snape? Then he realized what he was doing, and pushed the thoughts from his head. He had no proof that she was doing anything harmful, and couldn't accuse her of doing so.  
  
"You have medical training?" he asked.  
  
She nodded at him, grinning.  
  
"You could say that, yes."  
  
"Were you a student here?" he pressed on. If he could find out she'd been here, he felt it would ease his nerves a bit.  
  
But she looked at him and shook her head.  
  
"No, I never attended school at Hogwart's. I don't live anywhere near here."  
  
"Where do you live?" he asked, trying to hide his disappointment at her last reply.  
  
"Not around here," she said curtly. Harry caught the tone of her voice and realized she wasn't going to discuss the matter further. He pulled his watch out of his pocket, and saw that everyone would be heading to the great hall for breakfast soon. He looked at Gazten as he stood up from his seat.  
  
"I'm gonna get going now," he started. He still wasn't completely comfortable about leaving Snape alone with her, but had no basis for the feeling. She nodded at him pleasantly.  
  
"I'll see you later then."  
  
Harry turned away and headed for the door, looking back over his shoulder once, to see Gazten was drawing the curtains around the bed again. He quashed the urge to run back there to see what was going on, as he knew she would only stop again, and instead pushed the doors open and started towards the great hall.  
  
When he stepped into the great hall, it was still mostly empty. It was still very early though, so this wasn't strange, he did notice, however, that Ginny was sitting by herself at one end of the Gryffindor table. She hadn't noticed he was there yet, so he made his way over to her.  
  
"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked as he stopped in front of her. She had dark circles under her eyes and Harry knew she didn't get much sleep last night, if any.  
  
When she saw him standing there a smile came to her face.  
  
"Not at all," she replied, gesturing for him to sit down. As soon as he did, food filled the plate in front of him. He looked at her plate to see she had barely touched any of her food.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice revealing the concern he was feeling. She nodded at him, weakly.  
  
"I'm fine, just a little tired."  
  
"I can see that, did you get any sleep at all?" he asked. Ginny just looked at him miserably and he knew the answer was no. "Why not?" he asked.  
  
"I'm just worried, that's all. About you, and what's going to happen. I was up thinking about what you told us all last night. What if." she began, then lowered her voice, looking around nervously, "what if Voldemort finds you before you can use Lunis? Just like your dad?" she asked.  
  
"Ginny," Harry began, "I don't have an answer for that. All I can hope right now is that he doesn't, and that if he does." he trailed off. He didn't know what to say, and didn't want to think about it. Ginny just sat back in her chair; she picked up a piece of bacon and nibbled, delicately on the edge of it.  
  
Harry sat back awkwardly, wishing he had something more to add, but he didn't, so he looked down at his plate and began eating. It wasn't very long before the hall started to fill with students. Ron and Hermione walked in together, saw Harry and Ginny, and headed over to them.  
  
"Up early today, where you?" Ron asked sitting down next to Harry, giving him a sideways glance. Hermione sat down next to Ginny, giving her a concerned look, but Harry caught her eye and shook his head no. Hermione just nodded at him, understanding.  
  
"Yes, I was," he said turning to Ron, "I went to see how Snape was doing."  
  
"And?"  
  
Harry told them about finding Professor Gazten next to the bed, with the curtains pulled around them. He told them everything he had seen, and how any questions he asked where given vague answers.  
  
"So, you think she was trying to hurt him?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"I don't know, but I don't trust her just yet," he replied.  
  
"I wonder why her eyes did that?" Ginny asked. Harry was relieved to see there was more color in her face now then when he first saw her today.  
  
"I was wondering that as well," Hermione spoke up. "I'll go to the library today and."  
  
"Oh marvelous, here we go again," Ron interrupted, rolling his eyes. He smiled innocently at Hermione who was glaring at him.  
  
"Well how would YOU propose we find out then?" she asked pointedly.  
  
"Hermione, I was only joking."  
  
"I didn't think it was funny," she said quietly. "If she was trying to hurt Snape then we need to find out."  
  
Harry wasn't hearing their argument though; he was watching the two people that had just entered the room.  
  
"Guys, look!" he whispered, though there really was no reason to. The hall was filled with enough chatter now so no one besides those close to him would hear.  
  
"What is it?" Ron asked following his gaze. Hermione and Ginny looked as well.  
  
Sirius had just come into the great hall and there was a very attractive woman walking with him. Harry almost mistook her for Professor Gazten until she got a bit closer. Her hair was red, but lighter than Gazten's and she was a bit taller. Sirius was smiling and was heading up to the instructor's table with the woman. He noticed Harry staring at him, winked, and kept going.  
  
Harry was completely intrigued and watched as they reached the table and began talking with Dumbledore. He was leaning forward on his chair trying to catch any of what they were saying, but the noise in the hall was too loud.  
  
"Who's he with?" Harry asked. He didn't realize he'd said it out loud until Ron answered him.  
  
"She looks familiar. I think I saw dad talking to her once at the beginning of the summer. Something about Sirius' trial, I think."  
  
"She had something to do with his trial?" Harry asked incredulously. He realized he still didn't know what had happened at the trial. He had been too happy just to find out Sirius was cleared.  
  
"I'm going to go see who she is," Harry said beginning to stand, but stopped as Ron grabbed his arm. He turned to ask what was wrong and saw Ron nod towards the front of the room.  
  
Coming out from a door near the instructor's table, was Professor Gazten. She headed for Dumbledore as well, and tapped him gently on the shoulder. When he turned to her, she sat down in Severus' empty chair nearby and began speaking, it appeared as if she were whispering. After a few moments, Dumbledore nodded and Gazten stood up. She nodded to Sirius and gave the woman he was with a curious glance, before turning and going back through the door.  
  
"What's going on?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know," Hermione replied, "but whatever it is, it'll have to wait. We're gonna be late for class if we don't get going now."  
  
They stood up from the table and Harry gave another glance in Sirius' direction, before following the others out of the great hall.  
  
"What do we have next?" Harry asked as they left the Charms classroom. The first class of the day had just ended and the three friends were now walking through the halls together.  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Hermione replied. "You really should go get a schedule you know," she added hastily.  
  
"So sorry, I wasn't there the night they handed them out, if you remember," Harry shot back, but smiled to show he wasn't mad. "I'm going to ask Remus about Professor Gazten," he said after a few moments. "I just want to know that she's on our side, ya know?"  
  
"After hearing what happened this morning, I'd like to know too," Hermione said.  
  
"Anything to save us from another trip to the library," Ron spoke up. He smiled widely at Hermione who ignored him, keeping her gaze straight ahead of her. Ron looked over the top of her head to Harry and rolled his eyes.  
  
They reached the classroom at last and took seats near the front. Harry sat through the lesson waiting anxiously for it to be over. Lupin was going on about different types of water demons such as Kappa or Kelpie. But there were no practical lessons today.  
  
He waited for the end of the lesson when most of the class had left for lunch, to go speak with him. Ron and Hermione stood nearby, waiting and listening.  
  
"Harry," Lupin said, smiling, "how are you?"  
  
"I'm fine, thanks," Harry replied, then went on quickly, "I wanted to ask you something."  
  
"About the lesson?" Remus asked. Harry shook his head, quickly.  
  
"No, about that new professor, Professor Gazten."  
  
Remus gave him a curious look, but nodded for him to continue.  
  
"Well, I was just wondering, do we know anything about her? Where is she from? Why is she here? I mean I know she's taking over Snape's classes right now, but if she was just called on when we knew Snape was missing then she got here fast for not living nearby."  
  
"How do you know she doesn't live nearby?" Remus asked.  
  
"She told me," Harry answered. He didn't continue on yet about what had happened that morning, he wanted to hear what Lupin had to say first.  
  
"It's true she doesn't live nearby, she arrived at the school with Hagrid a few days before classes started," Remus said.  
  
"With Hagrid? How does he know her?" Harry asked.  
  
"That you'll have to ask him. But he seems to trust her a great deal, and so does Dumbledore for that matter."  
  
"Well that's good to know," Harry said, feeling a bit more relieved.  
  
Remus looked at the expression on Harry's face before continuing.  
  
"Why did you ask that? Did something happen with Professor Gazten?"  
  
Harry hesitated for a minute, then decided there was no reason to keep it from him, so he told Remus everything that had happened that morning.  
  
"Interesting," Remus said when he finished, he was rubbing his hands together slowly and seemed to be considering everything Harry had just said.  
  
"Do you know what she was doing?" Harry asked at last.  
  
"Hmmm? Oh, I'm not sure to tell you the truth," Remus replied. He turned to his desk and started to gather his things together.  
  
"So that's it then?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well," Remus started, "I'm sure she wasn't doing anything bad. Dumbledore is the one who asked her to look after Snape. I was there this morning when she came to tell him how he was doing."  
  
"But you don't know what she was doing? What kind of spell?" Harry pressed on.  
  
"Harry, there are many different types of magic in this world that even we as wizards won't ever be familiar with. If I had to take a guess, I'd say she was an Earth Warden of some sort."  
  
"What's that?" Harry asked. It was the first time he'd ever heard the term.  
  
"Someone with powerful healing abilities."  
  
"So, she was helping Snape this morning," Harry said, feeling stupid now for being so suspicious. He'd been so ready to distrust her that he never considered the possibility.  
  
"Yes, like I said, that would be my guess. Now I have to get ready for my next class, and you should get some food. Unless you had another question?" Remus asked.  
  
Harry was about to shake his head no, when another one did occur to him.  
  
"Who was that woman with Sirius this morning? Ron said she had something to do with his trial."  
  
Remus gave him a big smile before continuing.  
  
"I'll let Sirius tell you about her. He said he wanted to introduce you tonight, anyway."  
  
"So she did help, then?" Harry pressed. Remus just shook his head, grinning.  
  
"Tonight, Mr. Potter. Have patience." Remus turned then and nodded at Ron and Hermione, before heading for the door.  
  
Harry watched him leave before heading over to where Ron and Hermione stood waiting.  
  
"Well, at least we know she wasn't trying to hurt him," Ron said as Harry walked over to them. The three of them started out the door and towards the great hall.  
  
"I still want to do some research," Hermione said. "I don't know much about Earth Wardens, but I know I've read about them somewhere."  
  
"Hermione, didn't you just hear." Ron started.  
  
"I'm with you Hermione. I want to know more about them too," Harry interrupted.  
  
Ron looked at Harry incredulously as Hermione beamed at him. She shot a smug glance at Ron before turning away again.  
  
The rest of the day went by without incident, when the last class finished, everyone returned to their common rooms to drop off their things before heading down to dinner. As soon as Harry came back down to the common room, Hermione called him over before he could leave for dinner.  
  
"Here," she said handing him a stack of papers.  
  
"What's all that?" Ron asked coming up next to him.  
  
"It's a copy of your schedule, I asked McGonagall for one today, and all the notes from the class you missed, History of Magic."  
  
"I missed History of Magic?" Harry asked cheerfully, sifting through the papers, thinking how wonderful it would be not to have to sit through Professor Binns drone on and on, endlessly this week.  
  
"You're giving him your notes to use?" Ron asked, shocked.  
  
"No, of course not," Hermione said matter-of-factly, "I need my notes to study. I made him his own."  
  
"What?" Ron exclaimed, sounding hurt now. "You won't even let me copy your notes!"  
  
"Well you didn't miss any class!" Hermione shot back. "And Harry didn't know he was missing the class until it was over, so I did it as a favor."  
  
"Guys, guys," Harry said, stepping between them before Ron could answer back. It wasn't a bad argument but he didn't really want to hear it right now. "Let's just head down to dinner, okay?" He looked back and forth between the two of them before stepping past and heading for the portrait hole.  
  
Ron and Hermione nodded, Ron still looking a bit peeved at the situation, before following him into the hall.  
  
When they walked in to the great hall, Harry noticed that Sirius was sitting at the professor's table and the woman from this morning was next to him. The only thing that kept him from going straight up there and talking with his godfather was what Remus had said earlier, about Sirius wanting to tell him tonight anyway. So he went over to the Gryffindor table, took a seat and began eating dinner.  
  
Sure enough by the end of the meal, Sirius had gotten up from his seat and started towards Harry. Some students gave nervous glances in his direction, as they had that morning, but Sirius wasn't noticing this time.  
  
"Harry," he started, stopping in next to his godson, "do you have a few minutes? There's someone I'd like you to meet." Sirius was beaming from ear to ear, with a goofy smile on his face. Harry nodded and began to stand up.  
  
"You seem very happy," he commented, grinning.  
  
Sirius gave him an affectionate tap on the arm and beckoned for him to follow. He walked back up to the professor's table and went back to where he had been sitting during dinner. The woman with the flaming red hair stood up when she saw them coming.  
  
"Let's move out into the hall," Sirius said quickly. The woman nodded at him and turned around, she led the way to the door behind the table and the three of them stepped out into the hallway.  
  
Harry looked at his godfather, waiting anxiously for an explanation. He seemed so happy around this woman and Harry was dying to know who she was.  
  
When the door was shut behind them, Sirius turned to Harry.  
  
"Harry, I'd like you to meet Marzia," he said, gesturing to the woman before turning to her. "Marzia, this is my godson, Harry."  
  
"Harry," she began with a warm smile. "I've heard so much about you. Sirius talks about almost nothing else, not that I mind at all."  
  
Harry blushed slightly at hearing this, but held her gaze. She had the friendliest look in her eyes and a very inviting smile.  
  
"I hope he talks about something else," he said trying to hide his embarrassment. "How do you two know each other? You seem like old friends."  
  
Harry watched as the two of them exchanged glances, then looked back at him.  
  
"Well, Marzia and I met after I graduated from Hogwart's," Sirius began.  
  
"You didn't go to Hogwart's then?" Harry asked her.  
  
"Actually I did," Marzia said. "But Sirius was very taken with a certain girl back then, and didn't pay much attention to anyone that wasn't in his house."  
  
Sirius hung his head sheepishly, blushing.  
  
"It wasn't that," he began, "I paid attention to other houses! Really! But usually only if it was for a practical joke or for a quidditch match." he trailed off, seeing Marzia's skeptical look, realizing he wasn't helping his case any. Harry laughed at the expression on his godfather's face and Sirius looked back at him, pretending to be insulted. Then he turned back to Marzia.  
  
"So, what house were you in?" he asked.  
  
"Ravenclaw," she replied.  
  
"She was a genius, you see," Sirius said, moving closer to her and slipping an arm around her slim waist. She looked up into his smiling eyes before replying.  
  
"One of us had to have brains, we couldn't rely on you for that," she said, then gave him the most innocent look before turning back to Harry.  
  
"Do you see the abuse I have to put up with?" Sirius asked to no one in particular, throwing his hands in the air. Harry was very much enjoying seeing his godfather so happy, but wanted to hear more, so he asked another question.  
  
"Okay, so you didn't know each other in school, how did you meet then?"  
  
"I went to work for the Ministry of Magic for a while after school, if you can believe that. It didn't last very long and after only a year I left. But while I was there, I was in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department, with Arthur Weasley. I didn't want to, but I needed the money so it was as good a job as any. Marzia went to work for them ministry as well, the same department as it turned out. Though she followed the rules much better than I did," Sirius said with a nostalgic smile on his face.  
  
"And?" Harry asked.  
  
"Honestly we didn't get along much while we were there, always disagreeing with each other over the smallest things," Sirius continued. "On my last day there though, I finally came to my senses, and asked her out to dinner."  
  
"And I apparently wasn't thinking clearly, because I said yes," Marzia put in.  
  
"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, looking like a hurt puppy. Marzia laughed at him and the two of them stood, gazing into each other's eyes.  
  
Harry finally cleared his throat, loudly, to get their attention.  
  
"Oh, um yes so, in any case, we found out we were pretty good at getting along with each other. Much better at it than arguing, and after a year," he turned and looked deeply into Marzia's eyes, "I asked her to marry me."  
  
Harry's jaw dropped, he had not been expecting that at all. Why hadn't Sirius ever mentioned this before now? He looked back and forth between them, waiting eagerly for them to continue.  
  
After another moment of silence Harry was about to go insane and opened his mouth to remind them he was there, waiting for the answer, when Marzia turned away from Sirius' to look at him.  
  
"I said yes."  
  
Harry stood, staring in shock. He had so many questions to ask, but his voice was failing him at the moment.  
  
"But," she continued, "I told him we couldn't get married right away. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect, really plan everything. I also knew that I would be leaving for something the ministry had me working on. I was going to be gone for a very long time, possibly a full year."  
  
"I tried to talk her into letting me come," Sirius cut in, still looking only at Marzia, "but she wouldn't have that."  
  
"It's not that I didn't want you to!" she exclaimed, looking up at him, "but I would've lost my job for bringing you. I know you didn't care for the place but I had no plans for leaving. Besides, where would you be now if I didn't work there?" she asked wryly. He smiled at her and Harry was about to ask what that was supposed to mean, when she continued.  
  
"In any case, it was all a matter of bad timing. I'm not going to go through every detail, but it was just obstacle after obstacle preventing us from getting married. And then.then when." she trailed off, seeming unable to continue. Harry watched her face carefully, she seemed about to cry, and he looked to Sirius for an explanation.  
  
His godfather sighed heavily before going on.  
  
"When I was accused of the murders, and went to Azkaban. That was the end. There was no way around that particular obstacle." Sirius hung his head, seeming ashamed. Harry started to say something when Marzia spoke up first, and it was as if she read his mind.  
  
"I don't blame you. I never will. What happened was horribly unfair, but it wasn't your fault, and I never want you to think it is."  
  
Sirius looked at her to see she was staring straight back at him, a loving yet determined expression in her eyes. He smiled at her gratefully, then noticed the concerned look on Harry's face as well.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said moving towards his godson. "It's been a long time since I've talked about this out loud. I've thought about it plenty for 16 years now, but to talk about it again." he trailed off. Harry lifted his arm and put it on Sirius' shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. There was no need to say anything, they both had things they'd like to change about their past. And they both knew it couldn't be done. Sirius took another step forward and gave Harry a fierce hug, and Harry was afraid for a moment that he might cry, but when they stepped back, he saw his godfather was smiling.  
  
Marzia came up to them and put a gentle hand on Sirius' other shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly to him. Harry looked at them and was overjoyed at the expression of happiness on his godfather's face.  
  
"So," he began cautiously, "does this mean you two are still engaged?"  
  
Sirius and Marzia looked at each other quickly, before turning back to Harry.  
  
"Yes, we are," Sirius said, unable to keep from smiling. "Marzia and I are getting married at the end of the school year."  
  
"Why so long?" Harry asked. "You've waited all this time."  
  
"Harry, I want to devote my time right now to making sure everything here is okay," Sirius explained. "After what happened a few nights ago, I can't leave now, for any reason."  
  
"So it's because of me?" Harry asked guiltily.  
  
"No, it isn't," Marzia said gently, putting a hand on Harry's arm. "Sirius is right to want to be here right now and I agree with him. I'm here right now to keep an eye on things as well, for the ministry."  
  
"You still work for them?" Harry asked.  
  
Marzia nodded.  
  
"She's the reason for all the support behind Arthur Weasley at my trial," Sirius spoke up. "I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for her." Harry looked at his godfather, who was looking at Marzia with such adoration in his eyes that he couldn't feel anything besides happy for him. Sirius deserved this so much, after everything that he'd gone through in his life; something was finally going right for him.  
  
"Marzia," he began, "thank you so much, for everything."  
  
"No, don't thank me," she interrupted, "I didn't do any of it as a favor, I wanted to do it. I knew from the beginning that he was innocent, but I had no way to prove anything. Even working for the ministry I wasn't able to locate Pettigrew to prove Sirius' innocence. I should be thanking you."  
  
Harry started to protest but Marzia just put up her hand, so he stayed silent. Then Sirius spoke.  
  
"I just wanted you to know. I wanted to introduce you both back over the summer, but Marzia couldn't get there. When I found out the ministry was having her come here this year, I decided I could wait to tell you. I didn't want to do it without you both there in person though."  
  
"You don't need to explain anything Sirius," Harry said smiling. "I just can't believe it, whatever I was thinking you were going to tell me, it wasn't this."  
  
"You're not upset then?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Upset!" Harry exclaimed. "Why on earth would I be upset?" He moved forward and hugged Sirius, then turned and did the same to Marzia. "I couldn't be happier for you," he said when he stepped back. He watched as Sirius and Marzia gazed into each other's eyes once more, and decided he should leave them be for a while.  
  
"I'm going to go back inside now," he said, stepping towards the door. Sirius looked at him and nodded.  
  
"We'll both be around the school this year, keeping watch for anything.suspicious," he said. "If anything happens come find us, got it?"  
  
Harry looked at Sirius and nodded.  
  
"Got it."  
  
He turned then, opened the door, and stepped back into the great hall.  
  
That night Harry told Ron, Hermione and Ginny everything that Sirius had told him earlier. Their reaction was much the same as his, complete shock at hearing something so unexpected, then happiness for Sirius.  
  
"I can't believe he never told you," Hermione said. "Though I'm so glad for him. Was she nice Harry? I hope we get to meet her!"  
  
Harry laughed at her reaction before answering.  
  
"I'm sure you will get to meet her, they're both going to be around the school for the whole year. Sirius because he wants to and Marzia because the ministry wants her to. They're both going to be sort of, patrolling I guess you'd say."  
  
"She's here for the ministry?" Ron asked, with a strange look on his face.  
  
"Yes," Harry answered, then quickly went on, "but I don't think we have to worry about her because of that. She's the one who helped get Sirius cleared after all."  
  
"I know, I wasn't thinking that."  
  
"What then?" Hermione asked, trying to catch Ron's eye. He didn't look speak for a moment, then slowly looked up.  
  
"It's nothing, never mind," he said quickly. He looked over at Ginny who had the same expression on as him. Harry and Hermione exchanged confused glances, but didn't say anything.  
  
"I'm heading up to bed," Ron said then and stood up abruptly. He said goodnight to everyone, then headed for the stairs. Ginny shrugged apologetically at the other two, before saying goodnight and heading up to bed as well.  
  
The next morning at breakfast, Ron was back to his normal self. He gave no indication that he was going to explain anything from the previous night, but that wasn't going to stop Harry from trying.  
  
"So," he began casually as he sat down across from Ron. Ginny was on his right and Hermione was across from Ginny. "Has your father said anything about what's happening at the ministry this year? Will there be a new Minister of Magic anytime soon?"  
  
Ron looked at him in silence for a moment; he opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, then settled for just shaking his head no, before turning his attention back to his breakfast. Harry glanced across at Hermione and they both looked to Ginny, who wasn't returning either of their looks, before he asked another question.  
  
"You said Marzia looked familiar to you last night, before I went with Sirius.where do you know her from?"  
  
"I told you," Ron began quickly, "I saw her speaking with my dad, I knew they were working on Sirius' trial." He looked down at the pile of books next to him when he finished speaking, and pulled out a sheet of paper. "What do we have this morning, anyway?" he asked, changing the subject.  
  
Harry wondered if Ron was really hiding something from him, or if it was something concerning his family. If it was a money issue of some sort Ron would be sure to avoid talking about it, but somehow Harry didn't see how this could involve his family's financial situation. He didn't, however press Ron any further on the subject right now.  
  
"Care of Magical Creatures," Ron said after scanning the schedule, then looked up at Harry. "You can ask Hagrid now about Professor Gazten."  
  
Harry nodded at him.  
  
"Yeah, I'll do that," he answered.  
  
When breakfast was over the three of them headed outside towards Hagrid's hut, leaving Ginny to go to her class. They walked silently down the hill. They saw a few students already down there, and Hagrid beckoning everyone to come around back.  
  
When the three of them stepped into view in back of the hut, they all stopped dead in their tracks.  
  
"What are those things?" Ron asked, in a horrified voice. 


	4. Chapter 4

"I.I think they're.Erumpents." Hermione stammered, not taking her eyes off the creatures. They were about the height of a Great Dane, but with a much larger body mass, like a rhinoceros. Each had a long, sharp looking horn on the snout, and a long rope-like tail. There were about half a dozen of these creatures in a pen Hagrid must've put up behind his house.  
  
"What's an Erumpent?" Ron asked, not taking his eyes off them.  
  
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a louder voice.  
  
"C'mere you three!" Hagrid called over to them cheerfully. They all looked nervously at each other before moving closer to Hagrid and the creatures. Harry was surprised to see Professor Gazten was there as well, he hadn't seen her at first and wondered what she was doing there. When all the students were there, Hagrid began the lesson.  
  
"E'llo kids! I'm back! I won' ask if yeh all missed me, cuz I'm not shur I wan ta hear the answer!" He laughed at his own joke and Harry, Ron and Hermione laughed with him. They wanted him to feel like he was indeed missed. Though they hoped these creatures were not as dangerous as some of the ones he'd shown them in the past.  
  
Draco Malfoy and his crowd were making rude comments off to the side; no doubt they wished Hagrid had not returned. Harry wondered why Malfoy wasn't being as blatantly rude as he had been to Hagrid in the past, then figured it must have something to do with Gazten's presence. He turned his attention away from them and back to the lesson.  
  
"I'm shur yeh all know Professor Gazten," Hagrid continued, "she's here ta give me a hand today. The creatures in the pen o'er there are called Erumpents. Now the ones we've got are jes babies, cuz the 'dults would be too much ta start ya's off on."  
  
He walked over to the pen and stood right next to the one closest to him. He put out one of his oversized hands and began ever so gently stroking it's back.  
  
"These are very docile creatures, yeh see? As long as yeh's all do as I tell ya, there should be no problems."  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged nervous glances. Creatures that Hagrid thought were 'no problem' in the past usually ended up being very much of a problem.  
  
"Now," Hagrid said, taking his hand away from the creature and turning back to the class, "I want all o' yeh's ta get a look at the 'orns on the 'rumpents. Be very careful not teh touch the tip. It's filled with a deadly fluid, whatever gets injected with tha' fluid explodes."  
  
The entire class went deathly silent upon hearing this, some students took a few steps back, away from the pen.  
  
"Are you trying to kill us?" Draco yelled from where he was standing in the back. Harry turned and glared at him, though he wasn't keen on going near the Erumpents, either.  
  
"I was wonderin' when you'd decide to say sumthin'," Hagrid replied, nonplussed.  
  
"Well what are we supposed to be doing then?" Draco called back. "I don't see that we need to feed them, they're gigantic!" He glared at Hagrid while his friends all snickered, muttering their agreement under their breath.  
  
Hagrid turned and gestured towards Gazten.  
  
"Professor Gazten can explain tha' teh yeh's."  
  
Gazten, who had been giving Malfoy a piercing look, turned her attention to the rest of the class before speaking.  
  
"Erumpent horns, tails, and the exploding fluid, can all be used in potions. Since it is very dangerous for anyone who's inexperienced with these creatures to be dealing with their horns, you are going to be plucking tail hairs. Now there is a specific way in which to do this. Hagrid and I will be going around and showing you how to do it once you've split into groups." When she finished speaking, she stepped back and let Hagrid continue the lesson.  
  
"One thing I want teh point out," he said walking back over to the pen. He put his hand out again and rubbed the back of the creature. "The hide's on these 'ere creatures is very thick. It will not be affected by charms and curses; so do NOT provoke them into charging. Their 'orns cannot only pierce skin, but anythin' yeh see around yeh's. It's strong enough teh cut through metal. If one of 'em charges, it'll be very hard to stop it. So please wait to do anythin' until Professor Gazten or me shows you how."  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione waited while Hagrid and Gazten moved among the students. Hagrid was helping the Gryffindors while Gazten took the Slytherins. When he finally got to them came right up to Harry, and embraced him in a huge bear hug.  
  
"'Arry! I've missed yeh! I can't believe how big yeh've gotten!" he cried. Harry couldn't reply, as he couldn't breathe. He couldn't even move his arms. When Hagrid finally did release him, it took him a minute to catch his breath before he could say anything. He glanced at Ron and Hermione, who were obviously trying to restrain themselves from laughing, but only so they wouldn't offend Hagrid.  
  
"I missed you too Hagrid," Harry said at last. "It hasn't been the same here without you." Hagrid beamed at him and Harry was afraid for a moment that he was going to hug him again, but then he breathed a sigh of relief as Hagrid turned to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"I'd like yeh all teh come down an see me this weekend, I wan teh catch up on everythin' tha's happened. Dumbledore sent me an owl here and there, but mostly jes to ask how I was doin' and teh tell me how things were goin', but I still want teh hear all about it from you."  
  
"Of course we'll come see you!" Hermione exclaimed happily, which only made Hagrid's smile widen.  
  
"Good, it's settled then! Now, lemme show yeh's how teh go about collectin' the 'airs."  
  
He turned away from them and started towards the closest Erumpent and they followed him, somewhat hesitantly. No one was eager to get very close to the creatures after hearing about the horns.  
  
When they were all in the pen, Hagrid showed them how to keep the Erumpent calm, it loved to be stroked down it's back. He looked at them expectantly, waiting, so Harry finally stepped forward and put his hand on the animals back. It had the roughest skin; he couldn't believe it even felt him touching it.  
  
Then Hagrid showed Ron and Hermione how to get the hairs, taking a little section of the tail in their hands, they had to gently massage it, little by little. Slowly the hairs would loosen and fall out. They were given a jar to put underneath, so the hairs would fall right in.  
  
The three of them took turns; one stroking it's back, while the others massaged the tail. Harry kept glancing around the pen to see where Gazten was with the Slytherins. When she was busy trying to help one group who were on the verge of upsetting their Erumpent, he called Hagrid over.  
  
"What is it 'arry?" Hagrid asked as he stepped up to him. Harry was stroking the Erumpent's back while he talked.  
  
"I wanted to ask you about Professor Gazten," he began.  
  
"What about 'er?" Hagrid replied, looking slightly confused.  
  
"Well.did she come here with you?" Harry asked, cautiously. Hagrid nodded at him once, waiting for him to continue. "Do you know her well? Where did you meet her?"  
  
Hagrid appeared almost taken back by the questions for a moment, and Harry felt bad for asking.  
  
"Did sumthin' appen? Why deh yeh want teh know?" he asked, looking concerned.  
  
Harry glanced towards Gazten again to make sure she wasn't close by, before telling Hagrid about what he had seen in the hospital wing. When he was done, he was surprised to see Hagrid was smiling at him.  
  
"Listen teh me 'arry. Don' worry yerself none about Allison. I'll tell yeh's all about my trip, an' how I met 'er. But not right now."  
  
Hagrid chuckled to himself as he turned away and Harry just watched him, he was glad to see Hagrid didn't seem to be worried in the least about Gazten.  
  
"Well I guess that means we can trust her," Ron spoke up from down behind the animal, then he gave a disgusted grunt. "Bloody hell, this is worse than cat hair! Want to switch now?" he asked. Harry glanced down at Ron, whose hands were covered in the thin tail hairs and nodded. Hermione just rolled her eyes and kept massaging her part.  
  
Harry had just begun to start on the tail, when a violent shudder went through him. Hermione looked at him questioningly.  
  
"Cold?" she asked, not really expecting that to be the reason. It was still summer weather and as such it was very hot out. Harry shook his head.  
  
"No," he replied, then shrugged. He had no idea what had caused it, but he was now feeling very uncomfortable. His stomach turned and he felt for a moment as if he were going to be sick. Hermione could see this in his face and was looking at him, concerned.  
  
Harry pulled his hands away from the tail as they had begun to shake, he couldn't keep them still. "Something's wrong," he said quietly.  
  
"I can see that, are you going to be ill?" Hermione asked. Harry slowly shook his head.  
  
"No, not like that. Something here is wrong."  
  
"Where here?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know yet," he replied standing up. He started looking around for anything that seemed strange, clasping his hands together to try and keep them still.  
  
Harry took a few steps away from the Erumpent to get a better look around.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron asked.  
  
"He thinks something's wrong," Hermione answered, standing up. The three of them looked at the other students standing in the pen, but couldn't see that anything was out of the ordinary.  
  
"Well, maybe you're just being paranoid, did you get enough sleep last night?" Ron asked.  
  
"I'm not being paranoid, I just know something's up," Harry replied. He began to walk further into the pen, moving away from the Gryffindors and towards the Slytherins. Professor Gazten noticed him and walked over.  
  
"Do you need help with something?" she asked pleasantly. "Hagrid is helping the Gryffindors, I'm sure he'll be right over as soon as he."  
  
"No, I don't need help," Harry cut her off. He grimaced at hearing his own voice, as he hadn't meant to sound so abrupt, so he quickly continued. "Is everything okay? Are the Slytherins doing alright?" he asked, trying to look around her. He felt stupid for asking but he couldn't think of another way to find out.  
  
"They're fine," she replied, fixing him with a suspicious look, obviously realizing on any normal day Harry wouldn't care about the Slytherins. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Harry didn't have an answer. He couldn't tell her why he wanted to know because he knew it would sound crazy and paranoid, and there really was no explanation that he could come up with that would sound plausible.  
  
"Just wondering," he finally mumbled, starting to turn back towards where Ron and Hermione were standing, watching him. He felt Professor Gazten's eyes following him back to his side of the pen, but didn't turn around.  
  
"Harry, what is going on?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't know," he replied, frustrated. "I can't explain it I just feel that." he trailed off. For some reason he had an overwhelming urge to find Malfoy at that very moment. He glanced around anxiously, seeing that Gazten was overseeing some students a few feet away. Malfoy and his goons had chosen one of the Erumpents in the far corner of the pen. Without a second thought, Harry started towards them, not having the slightest idea what he was going to do.  
  
He had only gone a few steps when he felt a hand close over his arm, and he turned around.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron hissed. "If he's up to something," he said nodding towards Malfoy, "and you go over there he'll probably just find a way to blame it on you."  
  
"I don't know if he's up to something, all I know is I have to go over there, now."  
  
Ron looked at him like he was mad, and Harry didn't have any response for that. He shrugged Ron's hand off his arm and turned again, this time almost walking into Hagrid.  
  
"'Arry, yeh've not been doing what yer suppos'd teh be for a while now. What's the matter?"  
  
"Hagrid," Harry started, "I just need to ask Draco a question, it's very important." He honestly didn't have any question for him at all, but needed to get over to him, and fast.  
  
"Malfoy?" Hagrid asked incredulously. "I know I've been gone fer a while but I never thought I'd come back to see the two a' yeh's gettin' along."  
  
"Can I please get by?" Harry asked. His hands were visibly shaking now and he was very cold, which Hagrid noticed.  
  
"I think it'd be better fer you teh see Madam Pomfrey. Yeh look like yeh might be comin' down with sumthin'."  
  
"I'm not," Harry replied. "I promise I'll go anyway though if you please just let me talk to Malfoy for one second! Please?"  
  
Hagrid looked at him pointedly, and Harry thought he was going to tell him no. He knew that his request was making no sense; it didn't even make sense to him. But he didn't think the feeling was going to go away until he knew for sure that everything was okay. He looked up at Hagrid, pleading with his eyes.  
  
"Fine," he said at last, and Harry smiled. "But," he added quickly, "straight teh the hospital wing with yeh when yeh've finished."  
  
"Promise," Harry replied. He stepped around Hagrid quickly and again began to move towards where Malfoy was working, only to be stopped again.  
  
No one grabbed him or stepped in front of him this time though, the Erumpent let out a loud cry and bucked on it's hind legs, before landing with a crash and racing forward, straight at Harry.  
  
Harry didn't stop to think, he flung himself to the side and hit the ground mere seconds before the Erumpent reached the spot he had been standing. Every student in the pen had seen what happened, and were now frantically scrambling to get out of the pen. There was screaming everywhere, and Harry looked around frantically for his friends.  
  
Suddenly he felt someone put their hands under his arms and yank him into a standing position. He turned around to see Hagrid standing behind him.  
  
"What do we do now?" Harry asked trying to sound as calm as possible. He wasn't shaking or cold any longer, but he barely noticed it. Hagrid just grabbed his arm and pulled him over to a side of the pen.  
  
"Out," he said gesturing for Harry to climb. Harry was about to protest, he wanted to make sure everyone was okay, and to see what caused that to happen. But Hagrid looked as if he were going to toss him out of the pen if he didn't move, so he began to climb. Hagrid waited until he was completely out before turning back to those still inside.  
  
The scene was one of chaos. Some students were trying to shoot curses at the wild Erumpent, but nothing would get through its thick hide. Some had gotten trampled in the rush to escape, and some where already out. Hagrid and Gazten were trying to get everyone out as fast as possible.  
  
Harry began to look around him to see where Ron and Hermione were, hoping they had gotten out. He let out a sigh of relief when he finally spotted them in a group of Gryffindors on the opposite side of the pen, and began to move towards them.  
  
He only stopped when he ran into Draco Malfoy.  
  
"What did you do?" he asked him stonily. Malfoy just glared back at him, smugly.  
  
"What makes you think I did anything?" he retorted.  
  
Harry decided not to waste his time, he knew Malfoy would never admit to doing anything wrong, so he stepped around the group of Slytherins, and again headed towards Ron and Hermione.  
  
A shrill scream from inside the pen made everyone turn to see what had happened. A Slytherin girl that Harry didn't recognize was lying on the ground, clutching her side. He was horrified to see she was bleeding, which meant the horn's fluid must be inside her now. The Erumpent was about to have another go at her. Harry looked to see that Hagrid was too far away, and he didn't see Professor Gazten at all now, so without a second thought, he lifted himself over the fence, and began running towards her.  
  
Harry could see there was no way he was going to make it to her in time; the Erumpent was already too close. Hagrid was even further away then he was, so Harry did the only thing he could think of. He reached into his robes, pulling out his wand. He didn't point it at the Erumpent, as he knew anything he threw at it would most likely bounce off, but instead pointed it at the girl.  
  
Concentrating very hard, he lifted her off the ground in the second before the creature ripped its horn into the soft earth she had been laying on. He moved her through the air and gently placed her down on the grass a short way outside the pen. A few of the students nearby moved over to her immediately and Harry wondered how much time she had before the fluid would take affect. He still didn't see Gazten anywhere, so he turned to look for Hagrid.  
  
The Erumpent was on him before he had a chance to think. It had seen that the girl was no longer in reach, and went for Harry instead. With its head lowered, it had charged at him, and Harry tried to move out of its path, but didn't have the time. He felt its snout hit him on his left hip, and the horn ripped though his robes, but didn't penetrate his skin. His back was slammed into the pen as the creature carried him on it's snout, it backed up to make another run and Harry felt the tip of the horn scraping his arm as it pulled out.  
  
He hit the ground; all the air knocked out of him and tried frantically to scramble to his feet. The Erumpent had already begun running at him again, and he knew he wasn't going to get over in time. He put his foot up, not willing to just give up, and began climbing the fence, expecting to feel the blow at any second, but it never came. Ron and Hermione had rushed over to him and helped him the rest of the way over.  
  
When he looked back into the pen he saw that Hagrid had grabbed it from behind. It was squirming, furiously, in his grip, but couldn't free itself. They watched as Hagrid put his hand in front of the animals face, sprinkling a powder onto its snout. Within seconds it was sleeping, soundly in his arms.  
  
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked him immediately, she was very pale and both her and Ron were obviously concerned.  
  
"I'm fine," Harry said, trying still to catch his breath. "It just scratched me." He looked down at his arm through the tear in his robes to see the scrape was bleeding, heavier than he thought it would be.  
  
"You need to see Madam Pomfrey," Ron said quietly, knowing Harry wanted nothing less than to go to the hospital wing.  
  
"I will, I promise," he said, then continued quickly, "How's the girl?" He looked to where he had set her down to see a crowd of people surrounding her. Before either of his friends could protest that he should get checked now, he headed over to her. The three of them pushed their way through the crowd to find Gazten was kneeling over the girl.  
  
She was propped up on her elbows with her long blonde hair hanging down behind her. The rip in her robes revealed her skin underneath, but there was no mark. The wound that had been bleeding freely just moments before was completely healed. She looked up when Harry stepped into view and her cheeks flushed.  
  
"Thank you," she said quietly, looking into Harry's eyes. "You saved my life."  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, feeling stupid the second the words left his mouth. She was sitting up talking to him showing no pain whatsoever and her wound was healed. Of course she was okay, and Harry suspected that Gazten had something to do with it.  
  
She nodded at him and smiled, before she began to stand. Harry instinctively reached a hand out to help her, and she took it.  
  
"Thanks," she said again, when she was standing next to him. He noticed she had the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen.  
  
"Don't go anywhere just yet Melanie," Gazten spoke up as she stood. "You either Harry." She looked at the tear in Harry's robes and the blood that was dripping down them. "Both of you are going to the hospital wing to make sure you're okay."  
  
All of the students were whispering to each other, most were wondering how the large wound that Melanie had gotten just disappeared. Gazten seemed to be the only person not surprised about this, but she also didn't seem to be giving out the answers.  
  
Just as they started to head up to the school, Hagrid came over, sounding winded.  
  
"Are yeh's okay?" he asked looking back and forth between Harry and Melanie, anxiously. When he noticed the blood on Harry's robes he reached forward and grabbed his arm, Harry winced at the pain that shot through it.  
  
"It's deep Allison," he said quietly looking at Gazten. She stepped over to get a better look at Harry's arm and he noticed for the first time that she looked a bit drained. She raised a hand and gently ran her fingers along the gash. Harry felt a slight tingling everywhere her skin touched his, then she pulled her hand away.  
  
"He'll be okay, but they both need to get up to the hospital wing now," she said.  
  
Hagrid nodded emphatically.  
  
"Yes, yes, both eh yeh's get yerselves up there now," he said, his voice full of concern.  
  
"Hagrid," Harry started.  
  
"Later 'arry. It's important fer you teh get that cut looked at now."  
  
Harry looked into Hagrid's eyes and realized that last statement was his final word on the matter. He nodded and began walking.  
  
When the students reached the school, Gazten took Harry and Melanie aside to go with them to the hospital wing. Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione, as they had to get to their next class, and began the familiar walk. Here it was, the third day of school and he'd been in the hospital wing for one reason or another every day since his return.  
  
The three of them walked through the double doors together. Gazten told them to wait there, while she explained to Madam Pomfrey what had happened. As soon as she had gone, Harry turned to Melanie.  
  
"Are you okay? And I know you don't have a cut anymore, I mean are you feeling okay."  
  
"I will be," she replied. "Honestly I'm still a little shaken up over it," she admitted. Harry stared at her, thinking how pretty her hair looked the way it cascaded over her shoulders with the slightest inclination of her head. He quickly shook the thought from his head when he realized she had asked him a question.  
  
"Sorry?" he asked, hoping he hadn't seemed too out of it.  
  
"I asked how you're doing. You're arm looks pretty bad."  
  
"Oh, I'll be fine," he said, brushing it off. "Don't worry about it."  
  
An amused smile touched her lips, and she gave a delicate nod before continuing.  
  
"I just have to ask you, why did you do it?"  
  
"Do what?" Harry asked, truly confused.  
  
"Save me. You could have been killed."  
  
"Well," Harry began, not sure why this question required an answer, "why wouldn't I? I didn't think about it before I did it, it just happened."  
  
"But I'm in Slytherin," she replied. Harry looked at her, dumbstruck.  
  
"Are you saying that should matter?" he asked.  
  
"You tell me," she replied. "If it had been another student in that pen. Draco Malfoy, for instance, would you have done the same thing?"  
  
"Yes," Harry answered without hesitation.  
  
Melanie stared at him, as if sizing him up, for a few minutes, then she just shrugged.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Harry was at a loss for words. He couldn't think of anything to say to that response, so he just stayed quiet. Luckily Madam Pomfrey and Gazten were now on their way over to them.  
  
"Let's have a look at that arm Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said when she was next to him. Harry held out his arm and she pushed the tattered pieces of robe out of the way to have a look at the gash. She turned to Allison, who was holding a small jar, and dabbed her fingers into it. Then she rubbed it gently into Harry's arm, which immediately began burning. He bit down hard, not wanting to cry out in front of any of them, and luckily, the pain was very short-lived.  
  
Harry watched as the redness and swelling went down immediately. Madam Pomfrey quickly bandaged the cut and then let go of his arm. She checked Melanie over and just like Professor Gazten, didn't seem the least surprised that there was no wound where one should have been. Both of them were given a potion, which they drank where they were standing, to fight any of the fluid that might still be in their systems.  
  
"You were both very lucky today," Gazten said after Madam Pomfrey had taken the empty glasses and headed back to her office. "Do either of you know what happened?" She was looking at Harry pointedly.  
  
As much as he would've loved to say Malfoy had done something he had no proof. He honestly didn't know what had caused the Erumpent to charge in the first place.  
  
"Well, both of you get on to your classes then," Gazten said, dismissing them. "I will tell Professor Dumbledore what has happened, and if he needs to speak with either of you he will."  
  
Harry left the hospital wing with Melanie, very grateful for such a short visit. They walked slowly through the halls, neither of them feeling the need to rush to their next class.  
  
"I can't believe you didn't tell her," Melanie said at last, breaking the silence.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, again confused her.  
  
"About what Draco did," she said.  
  
Harry looked at her, incredulously.  
  
"So he did do something then?"  
  
"You didn't know? You were trying to get over to him for a while there; I just assumed you knew what he was doing," she said.  
  
"Well, why didn't you say something back there?" Harry asked. Melanie stopped walking and he did too. She looked at him carefully for a moment before she spoke.  
  
"What would that have gained me?" she asked finally.  
  
"Gained you?"  
  
"Think about it. If I told them Draco had caused the Erumpent to charge I would be getting him in trouble. That would make my entire house upset with me to say the least, and we would lose points!"  
  
Harry's jaw dropped.  
  
"That's why you didn't say anything?" he asked. She nodded at him.  
  
"But.he almost got you killed! Every one of us out there was in danger because of him! Isn't that a good reason to say something?"  
  
"Harry," she began. "I thank you for saving me, I'm very grateful. But I'm not going to turn on my house because of it."  
  
"I wasn't asking you to for that!" he exclaimed. He stopped for a moment, seeing the expression on her face. She was not going to change her mind. "Can you at least tell me what he did?"  
  
Melanie turned and gave him the sweetest smile before answering.  
  
"Why would I do that?" she asked.  
  
Harry smiled with her, before realizing what he was doing. He put his head down, feeling the blood rush to his face. When he raised his head, she was still looking at him and he realized how clear her eyes were. The only word to describe them was 'beautiful.'  
  
When she finally broke their gaze to look down, he realized he'd been staring.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled. They began walking again, in silence. Harry wanted to find out about Draco, but he knew she wasn't going to give in. He felt he should be angry with her, but for some reason, he wasn't even upset.  
  
When they finally reached the point where they had to separate to get to their classes, they both stopped. There was an awkward silence for a moment and Harry was the first to find his voice.  
  
"It was nice to meet you Melanie," he said.  
  
"Call me Mel, all my friends do," she replied. Harry smiled at her, not realizing she would think of him as a friend.  
  
"Okay, well, hope to see you around sometime Mel."  
  
"Cool. See you later Harry," she replied. Harry watched as she walked off down the hall. She had one of the most delicate frames he'd ever seen. When at last she was out of sight, he turned and headed toward his class.  
  
Harry walked into the Transfiguration classroom, and took his seat next to Ron. McGonagall had been told what happened, and didn't ask where he had been. She glanced at the tear in his robes, concerned, but continued with the lesson.  
  
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, leaning over Ron to whisper to Harry.  
  
"I'm fine, all taken care of," he said, smiling, pulling the robes over to show them the bandages.  
  
"What about the Erumpent fluid though? Did they give you anything for that?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, Madam Pomfrey gave us some medicine."  
  
"Would the three of you like to share your discussion with the rest of us?" McGonagall spoke up from behind them. She was giving them a pointed look, clearly displeased with their interruption. They looked at her sheepishly and apologized, their talk would have to wait.  
  
When the lesson was over, the three of them left the classroom, and headed to the great hall for lunch.  
  
"Do you remember everything from last year?" Ron asked as they walked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.  
  
"Everything you learned, you know, from the knowledge. You were the first one to change those bunnies into birds today, and not that I don't think you could've done it anyway.but."  
  
"Gee thanks," Harry replied sardonically, smirking at Ron. "I remember a lot of it, depends really."  
  
"What do you mean? Depends on what?" Hermione asked, seeming interested.  
  
"Well, last year I was taught what they thought would be most important to make the knowledge adjust faster. Some things that I use in every day classes, I remember better because it's repetitive. Other things I have to think about harder because there were spells and curses I'd probably never use anyway."  
  
"Oh," Ron said, sounding uncertain.  
  
"It's just like anything else you learn Ron," Harry tried again. "Some things stick, some things don't."  
  
They reached the doors to the great hall and went in together. Harry couldn't help himself and immediately looked over to the Slytherin table. When he spotted Mel, he waved to her, and she smiled back.  
  
"Um," Ron began, "good friends with her now, are you?"  
  
Harry turned back to Ron, noticing the skeptical look on his face.  
  
"What?" he asked; faintly annoyed. "I'm not allowed to wave at her?"  
  
The three of them went to where Ginny was sitting, waiting for them.  
  
"I didn't mean that," Ron began, but he didn't continue, which told Harry that most likely was what Ron had meant.  
  
"Look, we talked a bit while we were waiting for Madam Pomfrey, she's pretty nice," Harry said. Ron's eyes widened as he stared at Harry.  
  
"But.she's a Slytherin!" he finally got out.  
  
"So?" Harry asked, defensively. Ron opened his mouth to respond, when Hermione cut him off.  
  
"Really Ron, what's the matter with Harry being friends with her? We can't judge all the Slytherins on Draco Malfoy."  
  
"Speak for yourself," Ron muttered, looking sulky. He didn't say anything else though, just busied himself with eating.  
  
"What are we talking about?" Ginny spoke up finally. "And what happened to your arm?" She glanced at the three of them, looking entirely confused. Harry and Hermione explained the events of the Care of Magical Creatures class.  
  
"So who did it then?" Ginny asked, looking completely amazed at what she had just been told.  
  
"Malfoy," Harry answered, bitterly. "I just wish I knew what he did."  
  
"Maybe we can ask your new friend," Ron said, glancing up from his plate.  
  
"I did ask her," Harry began, then stopped. He liked Mel and seeing how Ron was reacting to Harry just waving at her, he wasn't going to repeat what she had told him. "She didn't know," he finished, looking down at his plate. He could feel Ron looking at him, but refused to meet his eyes.  
  
"She probably does know," Ron said. "You know that don't you? She just said she didn't so her house wouldn't look bad."  
  
Harry didn't respond. He couldn't say anything in Mel's defense because what Ron said was true, but he didn't confirm it for him either.  
  
"I'm going to change," Harry said, standing up. He didn't feel like eating any more right now. "I don't want to walk around the rest of the day with blood on my robes. See you guys later."  
  
Later that night when classes were over, Harry decided to write to Cho. He had promised her that he would tell her everything that happened, and since so much already had, he wanted to tell her as much as possible.  
  
He grabbed some parchment and ink, and sat in one corner of the common room to work on it. When he was almost finished, Ron finally ventured over to see him. They hadn't spoken since lunch.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron asked, sitting down across from Harry.  
  
"Writing a letter," he replied, not looking up at him.  
  
"Who's it for?"  
  
"Cho."  
  
"Are you going to mention your new friend?" Ron asked, haughtily. Harry slowly raised his head, to meet Ron's gaze.  
  
"Look," he began in a calm voice, "you don't have to like Mel, it's up to you. But I'm not going to sit around and listen to you say bad things about her. I don't care what house she's in." Harry started to stand and Ron jumped up with him, holding out a hand to stop him.  
  
"Wait," he said quickly. "That's not what I came over here for, I'm sorry. I may not like it, but you can be friends with whoever you want, even if they are a Slytherin."  
  
"I'm not a big Slytherin fan either, remember?" Harry asked. "But I won't judge every student in that house because the sorting hat put them there. I think if you met her, you might like her too."  
  
Ron laughed, and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Well, I'll believe that if it happens." Harry threw him a warning look and he quickly continued. "I'm sure you're right.okay? I was being an idiot."  
  
"Hey, I'm used to that from you," Harry replied smiling cheerfully. Ron looked at him, seeming very insulted. But he couldn't keep the smile off his face. He picked up a pillow from the chair behind him and threw it at Harry, who easily ducked it. He quickly set down the ink and parchment so he could pluck another pillow from the chair nearest him.  
  
The two of them had a mini pillow fight in the corner, laughing and shouting and drawing much attention from all the students around the room. They only stopped when they heard a voice nearby call to them.  
  
"Will you two please at least try to act like seventh-years?"  
  
"Aw c'mon Hermione," Ron said from the floor. He and Harry had both just dove down for more ammunition when she had come over. She gave them disapproving looks, showing she didn't find this amusing.  
  
"I think Hermione doesn't know what she's missing," Harry said glancing at Ron with a sly grin on his face.  
  
"I think you're right," Ron said, smiling wickedly. "What d'ya say we show her?"  
  
Hermione took a few tentative steps back as Ron and Harry stood up, their arms now loaded with pillows. She turned and took off, and they ran after her. The two of them together were able to cut her off at every turn, so she was unable to get to the door that led to the girls' dorms. But after a few pillows had hit her, she decided to fight back. She caught the next pillow that came soaring towards her head, and flung it straight at Ron's face.  
  
"Oof!" was the muffled sound that came from behind the pillow before it fell to the floor. He bent down quickly to pick it up, and flung it full force back at her. She ducked just in time and it went careening over her head, and straight into Harry's face, knocking his glasses off.  
  
"Sorry Harry!" Ron cringed when he saw the glasses hit the floor. Harry just laughed at him.  
  
"Yeah, sure you are. It's okay anyway, see? They're fine." He held up the glasses to show they were intact, before slipping them back on. He looked around the room to see every person had stopped what they were doing to follow the progress of the fight.  
  
"Sorry," he said, holding up his hands. "Didn't mean to disturb you all."  
  
He walked back over to the corner of the room where his letter to Cho was sitting on the table, Ron and Hermione following him. Ron had a huge smile on his face, which was very red from all the running around. Hermione was busy trying to get her hair smoothed out again.  
  
"You guys want to take a walk to the owlery?" he asked. "I want to send this out tonight."  
  
"Sure, as long as you don't bring any pillows with you," Hermione replied. Harry and Ron laughed at her.  
  
"Promise," he said.  
  
"So," Hermione said as they walked, "what are you telling Cho?"  
  
"Pretty much everything," Harry answered.  
  
"Everything?" Ron asked, wide-eyed. Harry stifled the laugh that wanted to come out after seeing Ron's expression.  
  
"Well, not every single little detail but mostly everything, yes."  
  
"Do you think that's wise, Harry?" Hermione asked. "If that letter didn't reach her."  
  
"I didn't say very much about Lunis," Harry said, seeing where she was going with her question. I told her what happened at the feast, and that I lived because of Lunis, but that's all. I didn't tell her how to get around it."  
  
"Do you think you should even mention Lunis?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well, Voldemort knows about it already, so if this were somehow intercepted by one of his followers, it wouldn't be saying anything he doesn't already know," Harry explained. Hermione and Ron still appeared as though they thought this wasn't a good idea, but they didn't voice their concerns any further.  
  
When the reached the owlery, Harry led the way over to Hedwig. It was a beautiful warm summer night, and the breeze was ruffling his messy hair.  
  
"Hey girl," he said softly as she looked up from her perch. He reached out and stroked the soft skin under her wings, and she sat there, letting him rub her, showing complete trust. After a moment he pulled his hand away.  
  
"I need you to deliver this for me," he said, holding up the letter before tying it to her leg. She gave his fingers and affectionate nip, before jumping effortlessly off her perch and taking flight. The three of them stood and watched until Hedwig was out of sight.  
  
"Well," Harry said turning toward his friends, "as much as I'd love to stay up here, I'm sure we're probably not even supposed to be out this late."  
  
"You're right," Hermione said. "We're not allowed."  
  
Harry and Ron both looked at her blankly.  
  
"Don't you remember? Dumbledore announced the curfew at the feast on the first night."  
  
"I don't remember much about the first night," Harry said quickly, "I didn't hear anything he said."  
  
"Well trust me he said it," she replied as they headed off down the stairs. They all moved silently through the halls, as quickly as possible, on their way back to the common room.  
  
As they reached the portrait of the fat lady, Ron called out the password and the three of them stepped inside. When the portrait shut behind them Hermione turned to face Harry.  
  
"Harry, the first night back, at the feast, you didn't feel well, did you?" she asked.  
  
Harry gave her a quizzical look before responding.  
  
"Well, it's not that I was sick, really. It was a strange feeling though. That's why I didn't hear much of Dumbledore's speech or the sorting."  
  
"Right, that's what made me think of it, when you said that in the owlery. You didn't hear it because you were getting that weird feeling. Was it like the one from earlier today? In the Erumpent pen?"  
  
Harry glanced around the room. Not many people were still up, but he didn't want anyone to overhear, so he pulled them back over to the same corner that they were in earlier.  
  
"Yes, it was."  
  
"Do you have any idea what caused it?" Ron asked, then continued quickly, "Was it Lunis?"  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"No, it couldn't be Lunis. Dumbledore said I could only use that once, and that it would be something I could control. I can't control these feelings and its happened twice now."  
  
"Maybe it's some kind of side effect, from the visions." Hermione said, pressing the tips of her fingers together. She looked very deep in thought.  
  
"I don't think it's that either," Harry said. "Dumbledore seemed to know all about the visions, he never mentioned that this would happen."  
  
"Tell me what happens, when you get this feeling," Hermione said, looking at Harry.  
  
"Well, both times I felt so cold, my hands would shake from it. I would just get a bad feeling really, like intuition or something. The first time I knew that there was something wrong with Gridman, and the next time I knew Malfoy was up to something. I didn't know anything specific in either situation, otherwise I probably could've prevented them, or something."  
  
"Hmmm." Hermione mumbled. She leaned back in her chair with her knees up, thinking about what Harry had just told her. Harry looked over to Ron, who looked just as confused as he, himself felt.  
  
Seemingly out of nowhere, Harry's hands began to shake, and he felt very cold.  
  
"It's happening!" he whispered quickly. Both Ron and Hermione looked at him fearfully.  
  
"Right now? Here?" Ron asked. Harry only nodded. He looked around, not really sure why, but he felt that there was someone in the room with him, that wasn't a student.  
  
"What's the feeling this time?" Hermione asked, glancing around nervously.  
  
"Someone's here," he said, standing up. The three of them looked around, but besides a few Gryffindor students, no one was in the room.  
  
"Well, do you mean here in our tower, or here in the school?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't know," Harry said, sounding frustrated. "I think it's." he trailed off. Ron and Hermione looked at him, waiting. After a moment, Harry looked up at them.  
  
"Do you guys hear that?"  
  
"Hear what?" Ron asked, still surveying the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary.  
  
"Hold on," Harry said. He was trying to block out everything he was hearing except this new sound. It seemed as if someone were trying to talk to him, but their voice was muffled. He couldn't make out anything being said.  
  
"There's definitely someone here," he said finally. "I can hear them trying to talk to me, but I can't make it out."  
  
"Well than how do you know they're trying to talk to you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I just feel it, besides, you can't hear it, can you?"  
  
"Are you sure it's not a snake, or someone speaking Parseltongue?" Ron asked anxiously.  
  
"No, it isn't. That I'd be able to understand," Harry replied, he looked around then headed for the stairs. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, before following him.  
  
"Where are we going?" Ron asked.  
  
"I want to check the Marauder's Map," Harry replied, not stopping. When he reached the door to his dorm, he flung it open and went straight to his trunk.  
  
"What's going on?" Neville asked from his bed. Harry, Ron and Hermione stopped dead in their tracks, and stared at Neville. They'd forgotten that most everyone was in bed. "And what's she doing in here?" he asked, sounding more confused.  
  
"Um, nothing. Sorry Neville," Hermione said quietly, she backed out of the room, blushing.  
  
"What are you up to now?" Neville asked suspiciously. He was watching Harry going through his trunk.  
  
"I just need something that I left up here, that's all. For homework." Harry found the map and quickly shoved it in his pocket, then closed his trunk. He turned with Ron and they headed for the door.  
  
"Isn't it a bit late to be doing homework?" Neville called from behind them.  
  
Harry just looked at him and shrugged.  
  
"I need to get it done, don't I?" he smiled cheerfully, trying to make it seem that everything was fine. Neville was still eyeing him suspiciously, but didn't say anything else. They closed the door quietly, so as not to wake anyone else, and headed back down to the common room.  
  
Hermione was waiting for them downstairs.  
  
"I can't believe I did that," she said quietly, holding her head in her hands. Harry and Ron both smiled at her.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Ron began. "It was only Neville, I'm sure he'll probably forget all about it."  
  
"I hope you're right," she said, then turned to Harry. "Do you still hear.whatever you were hearing before?" she asked. He nodded, then took another look around the room. It appeared as though the few people that were left were about to head upstairs. They sat down in the same corner as before, until they were the only ones left in the room.  
  
Harry pulled the map out of his pocket when they heard the last door close above them. He held his wand out with a shaking hand.  
  
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."  
  
The map sprung to life, revealing all of Hogwart's and the three of them crowded around it.  
  
"There's no one up here," Ron said after looking at all the names in the Gryffindor tower area, "no one that isn't supposed to be, anyway."  
  
"There is though," Harry said. He sighed in frustration.  
  
"Why don't you try to ask it again?" Hermione suggested, looking up at Harry.  
  
"My thoughts exactly," he replied. He held the map up in front of him. "Is there someone in the castle we can't see on here?" They watched anxiously, waiting for something to happen. Then slowly, the layout of Hogwart's began to swirl away, being sucked into the parchment. When it was completely gone, there were words at the top of the page.  
  
"Who wants to know?"  
  
"Not again," Harry mumbled quietly, then raised his voice. "Harry Potter."  
  
"Well hello Harry Potter! Nice to hear from you again."  
  
"Am I talking to Padfoot?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Yes indeed."  
  
Harry shook his head, why couldn't anything be easy?  
  
"Will you answer my question now?" he asked.  
  
"No."  
  
Harry stared at the response in disbelief.  
  
"Why not?" he asked, trying not to sound angry.  
  
"Why not what?" came the response.  
  
"Why won't you answer my question?" he replied in a strained voice.  
  
"Are you blind? I did answer it."  
  
"Are you stupid?" Ron yelled, startling Harry, "you just told us you wouldn't answer it."  
  
"Who's that? The one that called me stupid." Padfoot asked.  
  
Ron looked at Harry apologetically, and Harry just shook his head.  
  
"Don't worry about it," he said to Ron. "Just tell him your name, will you?"  
  
"Ron Weasley," Ron said out loud.  
  
"Well Ron Weasley," Padfoot replied. "I'm not stupid. You're the ones that didn't see my answer, there's nothing I can do about that."  
  
"But.you didn't give an answer!" Harry sputtered. "I asked you if you would and you said no!"  
  
"He was answering your first question," Hermione piped up, suddenly. Harry and Ron both turned to her quickly. "When he said no, he was telling you there's no one else here."  
  
Harry could feel his face turning red, and saw Ron's was as well; he sheepishly turned back to the map to see a new question.  
  
"Who's the intelligent one?"  
  
"Hermione Granger," Hermione said immediately.  
  
"Well done, Hermione Granger. Good thing these two idiots have someone with brains to help them out."  
  
Hermione just beamed at the map, looking quite proud of herself.  
  
"Oh come off it," Ron said, looking at her. "It's just a map."  
  
Hermione glared at Ron, but didn't say anything and Harry just rolled his eyes at them. He pulled his wand out again, and pointed it at the map.  
  
"Thanks for your help, Padfoot," he said, grudgingly.  
  
There was no response.  
  
"Oh well, guess he's gone," Harry shrugged. "Misch." he began to say the words to turn the map off, but stopped suddenly. The map was spelling out two words over and over and over, and it caused Harry's blood to run cold.  
  
"That can't be right," Hermione whispered weakly, staring in horror at the map. "It's impossible."  
  
"I hope you're right," Harry replied, still unable to tear his eyes away from the words in front of him. 'Peter's Here,' was being scrawled, by an invisible hand it seemed, slowly filling the page.  
  
"Maybe it's a different Peter," Ron said quickly, "it doesn't say here that it's Wormtail."  
  
Harry looked at his friend to see Ron didn't even believe his own suggestion. But he didn't see how Wormtail could be there. He was dead, and the Zlam had his body. There was no reason he could think of that they would ever bring it to Hogwart's, especially after what Tytros told him a few days ago, about Forden not wanting anything to do with them ever again.  
  
"Padfoot, are you doing that?" Harry asked out loud. There was again, no response from the map; only the same words appearing over and over.  
  
"Mischief managed," Harry said, with his wand aimed at the map. Nothing happened. The words continued to appear.  
  
"Padfoot stop!" Harry screamed. Hermione put a hand on his arm and when he looked at her, she was shaking her head and pointing above her.  
  
"You'll wake everyone," she said quietly. "Now let's try to remain calm and figure this out."  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry said, "You're right." He felt silly for shouting, but he had no idea what to do. He couldn't shut the map off, and he couldn't get any response from it.  
  
"I think it's time to see Dumbledore," Ron said finally. "If Wormtail's here we need to tell him."  
  
"Let's go," Hermione said immediately, she began walking towards the portrait hole, and Ron moved to follow.  
  
"C'mon Harry," he said, beckoning him to follow. But Harry didn't move. His hands were shaking violently now and his teeth were chattering.  
  
"What's happening?" Hermione asked looking at Ron, who just shrugged back at her. Neither of them had any idea how to help Harry.  
  
"C-c-cold," Harry managed to get out. His knees buckled and he hit the floor, still clutching the map. Ron and Hermione rushed over to him. Hermione began rubbing his arms, in an effort to keep him warm.  
  
"Maybe we should take him to the hospital wing?" Ron suggested from next to Hermione. She nodded anxiously, and the two of them began to help Harry back onto his feet. They moved towards the portrait hole together when Harry gasped. He stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked fearfully. Harry just raised a shaky hand and pointed in front of them. There, a few feet away, stood Wormtail. 


	5. Chapter 5

Harry couldn't move, he was frozen to the spot, staring at Wormtail. He couldn't understand how this was possible, Wormtail was supposed to be dead. The dead couldn't come back to life, could they?  
  
"Can you see me yet?" Wormtail asked, sounding bored. Harry just looked at him, confused. Then he realized not only could he see him, he could see through him. It was Peter Pettigrew's ghost.  
  
"Why are you here?" he finally managed to ask. He wasn't cold anymore, and he had stopped shaking.  
  
"Who are you talking to?" Ron asked, giving Harry a wary look.  
  
Harry looked at Ron with wide eyes.  
  
"You.you can't see him?" he asked weakly.  
  
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance before looking at Harry.  
  
"Who do you think is there?" Hermione asked, gently.  
  
Harry's jaw dropped.  
  
"What do you mean who do I think is there? Are you telling me neither of you see Wormtail standing by the portrait hole? It's his ghost!" He looked anxiously back and forth between the two of them before turning to Wormtail. "Why can't they see you?" he asked.  
  
Wormtail shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe for the same reason you haven't been able to see me." he said.  
  
"What? How long have you been here?" Harry asked.  
  
"Since I died. I've been stuck with you since I died." Wormtail's eyes flashed with anger when he said this, before resuming the glassed over look they had previously shown.  
  
Harry's eyes couldn't possibly get any wider.  
  
"Okay, time to get you to the hospital wing," Hermione said firmly. She and Ron both grabbed Harry by the arms and started moving towards the portrait hole.  
  
"Stop, I don't need to go there," Harry said, trying to shrug them away. They stopped but didn't let go.  
  
"You're seeing things Harry. Wormtail isn't there and the map." Ron trailed off.  
  
"The map was right! Peter is here and he's standing right over there!" Harry exclaimed. "I don't know why you can't see him but nothing Madam Pomfrey can give me will change the fact that he's there! I'm not hallucinating!"  
  
"Ghosts can't become selectively invisible," Hermione said calmly. "There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to see him too."  
  
"Maybe there is, though! How can you be so sure?" Harry countered, then continued quickly, "Just let me see if I can figure out what's going on, okay?"  
  
He looked at his friends, pleading with them. Finally they let go of him.  
  
"Thank you," he said.  
  
"You're going to Dumbledore one way or the other when you've finished whatever it is you're doing," Hermione said seriously.  
  
Harry nodded at her, thinking he'd probably want to do that anyway, before turning back to Wormtail.  
  
"Why are you here?" Harry asked.  
  
Wormtail shrugged, again.  
  
"I don't know. If I had a choice I most certainly wouldn't be here."  
  
"Why don't you have a choice?" he asked, completely confused.  
  
"You tell me!" Wormtail replied so loudly that Harry took a step back. "I've not been able to get more than a few miles away from you, believe me I've tried! Many, many times!"  
  
"So you think I'm keeping you around? Not by choice, I'll tell you that!" Harry retorted angrily. Both of them glared, darkly at each other in silence, until Wormtail finally spoke again.  
  
"You should be thanking me, you know," he muttered, indignantly. Harry stared at him in shock.  
  
"For what, exactly?" he asked.  
  
"For taking your place, that's what! I died for you!"  
  
"No you didn't," Harry replied quietly. "You died for Voldemort. You had enough power to do any spell or curse or hex in the world but you chose to do the one Voldemort wanted you to."  
  
"Only because you gave it to me," Wormtail shot back.  
  
"That's right, I did," Harry said coldly. This was getting him nowhere, he thought. He had to figure out why Wormtail was there and how to get rid of him.  
  
"So," he began, forcing himself to sound calm, "are you the reason I keep getting these.feelings?"  
  
Wormtail smirked at him.  
  
"You mean when you get all sick and cold?" he asked sweetly. "I think that is me, yes."  
  
"Why are you doing it?" Harry asked, not liking the fact that someone could do this to him without him being able to stop it.  
  
"You have to even ask?" Wormtail replied. "Don't you see when they're happening?"  
  
"Usually before something bad happens," Harry said. Then he thought about it for a minute. "Hang on, you were warning me?" he asked incredulously.  
  
Wormtail nodded.  
  
"That's right," he said.  
  
Harry's head was hurting, not for any other reason than he was utterly confused. He forced himself to concentrate on the situation.  
  
"Okay, so why were you warning me then?" he asked.  
  
Wormtail avoided Harry's eyes, looking at the floor, the ceiling, anywhere but at him.  
  
"Well?" Harry prompted.  
  
"Does it matter? I just did, okay?"  
  
"Right, out of the goodness of your heart, I'm sure," Harry quipped. He rolled his eyes and Wormtail looked at him indignantly.  
  
"Well why not?"  
  
"Are you serious? You are the reason I have no parents, the reason Sirius spent twelve years in jail. Voldemort wouldn't have been able to come back to power so easily if you hadn't.hadn't." Harry trailed off, not wanting to think about that night. When he looked back up, he saw Wormtail staring at him, fear in his eyes.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, not understanding what he could be scared of.  
  
"Look, neither of us are happy with this situation," Wormtail began. "Isn't there something you can do to just release me? So that I can at least leave the school grounds?"  
  
"If I knew how to do that I'dve done it already," Harry said. He turned to Ron and Hermione, who were looking very worried. Great, he thought, they think I'm completely insane.  
  
"I'm going to talk to Dumbledore," he said to them, then turned and started towards the portrait hole. Wormtail, however, didn't move.  
  
"No!" he said. "Please?"  
  
"Why not?" Harry asked. "If anyone will know what to do it'll be him." Then the reason for the fear in Wormtail's eyes was suddenly clear to Harry. "You think he's going to do something to you?" he asked, trying not to smile.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous!" Wormtail said, doing a bad job of lying. "I just don't see what help he could be. Your friends can't see me, he probably won't be able to either."  
  
"I'm going anyway," Harry said. "And standing in front of the door isn't going to stop me, you're a ghost, remember?" He began to move forward again, hesitating for just a second before reaching a hand through Wormtail, who still refused to move. His arm immediately felt as if he had shoved it into a bucket of ice and he quickly pushed at the portrait to swing it open, but it wouldn't budge. Wormtail was somehow managing to keep it shut.  
  
He pulled his arm back.  
  
"Get out of the way."  
  
Wormtail shook his head.  
  
"No. We're going to figure this out here."  
  
Hermione and Ron walked over and stopped on either side of Harry.  
  
"What's the matter?" Ron asked.  
  
"He won't let me open the door," Harry answered, clenching his teeth.  
  
Ron and Hermione exchanged yet another worried look, before Ron shrugged and then reached for the portrait to push it open. Harry watched as his hand touched Wormtail's transparent form, and he pulled it back as quickly as if it had been burned.  
  
"Bloody hell! It's freezing!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hand.  
  
"It's because you touched him," Harry said. "But that's not what's keeping us in, he's blocked the door somehow."  
  
"I touched him? Eww." Ron said in disgust.  
  
"Here, let me try," Hermione said stepping in front of the portrait. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the icy feeling she knew was coming, and put her hand forward. She inhaled sharply when she made contact with Wormtail, but pushed her hand through all the way. Harry and Ron held their breath, waiting.  
  
After what felt like an eternity, the portrait swung open and Wormtail dove after it, but he wasn't fast enough. Harry, Ron and Hermione were through it before he could shut it on them.  
  
"Fine!" he shouted. "But don't expect me to go with you for your little chat! I may not be able to leave the school grounds, but I don't have to be in the same room as you!" Harry looked at Wormtail throwing his pathetic temper tantrum and watched him disappear in a huff, before he turned back to Hermione.  
  
"How did you do that?" he asked, smiling. But a look of concern quickly replaced it when he saw Hermione. She was trying not to cry while clutching her arm. Ron was at her side in an instant.  
  
"Let me see," he said gently taking her arm. It was very red and felt raw.  
  
"I'll be okay," she said as tears of pain rolled down her cheeks.  
  
"You have to see Madam Pomfrey, now," Ron said, but she didn't budge.  
  
"I want to know what's going on," she said firmly. "I'll go to the hospital wing after we've seen Dumbledore."  
  
"But." Ron started.  
  
"No," Hermione cut him off. Then she pulled her arm back and began walking. Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged, then turned and hurried to catch up with her.  
  
"I'll remember this the next time you tell me to get to the hospital wing," Harry said grinning down at her.  
  
"This hardly makes us even," Hermione replied quickly. "It's no where near as bad as what you usually have to go for."  
  
"So how did you get the door open?" Ron asked finally.  
  
"I just sprung the lock," Hermione said. "I knew he had to be holding the piece that turns whenever we say the password from outside. I just pushed the button that releases it. That's why it opened too fast for him to stop, it was almost ejecting it."  
  
"Clever, clever," Ron said putting his arm around her. Harry smiled at his friends, again thinking of Cho as he saw them holding each other. He missed her very much, and hoped his letter would get to her quickly.  
  
But now was not the time to think about Cho. He had to tell Dumbledore what had happened, and figure out a way to get rid of Wormtail. He certainly didn't want to spend the rest of his life being trailed by that slimy git. Even as a ghost he hated him. Thinking of this made him quicken his pace, the sooner they figured out what to do, the better.  
  
They reached Dumbledore's office without incident, said the password and raced inside. It was very dark when they walked in however. They had completely forgotten how late it was.  
  
"What do we do now?" Hermione asked, whispering.  
  
"I don't know," Harry admitted. He had never run across this problem before. "I guess we come back tomorrow. I don't know where Dumbledore sleeps."  
  
Just then all the candles in the room lit themselves, and a fire rose up in the fireplace. The three of them glanced around, nervously, unsure what to expect, when Dumbledore walked in from a door in the back. He gave a great yawn as he slowly shuffled into the room, and stopped when he was in front of them.  
  
"What are you three doing here so late?" he asked sleepily. Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other, smiling. Dumbledore was wearing a white dressing gown with little blue moons all over it and a matching nightcap. He looked more like a very large child, except for the long silvery beard. But when he gave them an expectant look, Harry cleared his throat and took a step forward.  
  
"Sir, um.something happened earlier," he began. "Wormtail's ghost is here and it seems he can't get more than a few miles from wherever I am."  
  
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose slightly.  
  
"Interesting." he said. "Come in, have a seat. Please, tell me, how did you find this out?"  
  
When they were all seated Harry went on to explain about the feelings he had gotten just before the incident with Gridman, and again in the Erumpent pen. He told him how it happened again earlier that evening in the common room and how this time he felt there was someone in the room with them. When they checked the map, it didn't show anyone other than students, so he explained how he once again asked it for assistance. After a brief recount of what Padfoot had said, he told how the map began writing the words 'Peter's Here' over and over.  
  
"So the map was unable to see him?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded.  
  
"Yes, but it was the same for Ron and Hermione. I was the only one who could see him."  
  
"And when did you?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry continued with his story, telling him of the conversation that took place between them, and how he didn't want them to come here tonight. Then he explained how they were able to get past him, and headed straight for the office.  
  
"So," Harry said after he finished, "is there any way for me to get rid of him?"  
  
Dumbledore sat, stroking his chin with a contemplative look in his eyes. After a few moments, he stood and walked across the room to the window. Harry, Ron and Hermione just looked at each other, not sure if they should try to say something or not. Finally Dumbledore spoke.  
  
"I can't recall anything like this ever happening before."  
  
"Never?" Harry asked, standing, hoping he'd heard wrong.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head, and shuffled back over to them.  
  
"Never. That's not to say it hasn't, but I will need time to research it further."  
  
"How much time?" Harry asked, trying not to sound impatient.  
  
Dumbledore just chuckled at him.  
  
"Mr. Potter, I know you are anxious to be rid of Wormtail. But for the time being he does have some usefulness."  
  
"Not exactly," Harry replied. "Both times he tried to warn me I never really got the message, just a bad feeling."  
  
"I suspect that's because you couldn't see or hear him properly until now."  
  
"Well why now then? What's so special about tonight that made me able to see him?"  
  
"Tonight is the first time you tried to figure out what those feelings were, correct? I think that's why. You wanted to see what was causing the feelings and you somehow forced him to show himself."  
  
"Great. So how can I force him to be invisible until he's gone?"  
  
"Harry," Hermione spoke up, tentatively. "Don't you see? He may be able to help you. It may not be help you want but if he can alert you to danger before it happens." she trailed off.  
  
"You're right," Harry said sharply. "It isn't help I want," he turned away from them for a moment, thinking. "But," he shrugged, "it doesn't look like there's any other choice.for now," he added pointedly.  
  
Ron, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.  
  
"Why was Harry able to force Wormtail to reveal himself?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled at him.  
  
"I think Mr. Potter has a certain amount of control over Peter's ghost."  
  
"I do?" Harry asked. "I wish I knew that when I was trying to get the portrait hole open."  
  
"I do too," Hermione spoke up, sardonically. She rubbed her arm lightly, not wanting to irritate the rough skin.  
  
"I trust you are going to see Madam Pomfrey about this tonight?" Dumbledore asked, giving Hermione a serious look. She nodded.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Good," he said, then turned to Harry.  
  
"I'd like you to try something," he began.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked.  
  
"I want you to call Wormtail here."  
  
Harry stared at him blankly for a few moments.  
  
"But.how?"  
  
"However you did it before. You did something to make him show himself, whether he was trying to remain invisible or not, you were able to see him. I want you to try and bring him here, now. Can you do that?"  
  
Harry had no idea if he could do it or not, but he was going to try. He nodded at Dumbledore, shut his eyes, and began concentrating. Clearing his mind of anything else, he thought of Wormtail only, waiting, for some sign showing he could hear him. Suddenly he shivered violently, almost losing his balance, but it was over quickly. When he opened his eyes, Wormtail was standing in front of him, looking shocked and afraid.  
  
"I did it." Harry said in amazement.  
  
"What did you do?" Wormtail asked fearfully. He obviously did not enjoy the idea that Harry had any amount of control over him.  
  
"I brought you here," Harry said, smiling at him. He very much liked to see Wormtail looking scared and uncomfortable, without Voldemort being around.  
  
"Where is he Harry?" Dumbledore spoke up. Harry had forgotten that he was the only one who could see Wormtail.  
  
"Right in front of me," Harry said pointing.  
  
"Curious," Dumbledore mused, stroking his chin and looking at the space in front of Harry. "I have a few questions, Mr. Pettigrew," he said firmly. Harry looked at Wormtail and could visibly see him gulp.  
  
"Y-yes sir," he eeked out.  
  
"He said yes," Harry told Dumbledore, who nodded.  
  
"When did you first realize you couldn't get too far from wherever Harry is?" he asked.  
  
"When he used the portkey, the cork, to get back to the school. I was pulled in with him."  
  
"Since that night," Harry told Dumbledore, "when I used the portkey to get back, the cork that Fudge made into one."  
  
"When was the first time you tried to speak with Harry?" Dumbledore continued.  
  
"The night of the feast, first night of school," Wormtail answered.  
  
"Gridman," Harry said.  
  
"So you've been with him for three months and you never once tried to get his attention? Why is that? I would think if you wanted your freedom, so to speak, you would have tried to get his attention much sooner."  
  
Harry noticed that each time Dumbledore spoke he looked right at the spot where he'd told him Wormtail was standing, and that Wormtail never once moved, or tried to leave the room. He didn't understand why though, if no one could see or touch him, why was he so afraid?  
  
Wormtail stayed silent after Dumbledore's last question and after a few minutes Harry just looked at Dumbledore and shrugged.  
  
"He's not answering."  
  
Dumbledore's eyes flashed menacingly in Wormtail's direction and that was all it took.  
  
"I didn't want him to know!" he yelled, even though Harry was the only one who could hear him. "I thought he wouldn't want anything to do with me so it was better off left alone."  
  
"Well you certainly got that right," Harry retorted, before turning to Dumbledore and telling him what Wormtail said.  
  
Dumbledore stayed silent for a few moments, seeming to be deep in thought. Harry, Ron and Hermione waited in silence, while Wormtail kept shifting on his feet, and fidgeting with his hands.  
  
"I believe that you didn't want to reveal yourself," Dumbledore said finally, looking again in Wormtail's direction. "I also believe however, that you had no choice when you finally did speak to Harry. You were forced, in a way, to try and warn him. Is this correct?"  
  
Wormtail looked miserably at Dumbledore, but finally nodded his head yes.  
  
"He said yes," Harry muttered, somewhat disappointed. It wasn't too much of a shock really. Why would Wormtail try and help him? It wouldn't benefit him in any way. "What would force him to though?" he asked, turning to Dumbledore.  
  
"I can only give you guesses," Dumbledore replied quietly.  
  
"So anytime Harry's in trouble Wormtail is forced to tell him about it?" Ron asked, smiling. He saw nothing but potential in this new development.  
  
Dumbledore returned the smile.  
  
"It would seem so, for the time being at least."  
  
"Wicked."  
  
"Please keep in mind," Dumbledore said firmly, "this is all just suspicion, we have nothing to prove any of this to be true. Just because it has happened twice, doesn't mean there's no way around it."  
  
Harry looked from Dumbledore to Ron, who was quite happy with the situation, then to Hermione, who had been very silent throughout most of their discussion.  
  
"What do you think of all this?" he asked her. She looked up at him slowly, as if coming out of a daze.  
  
"I think that Professor Dumbledore is right, we need more facts, less guessing."  
  
Harry agreed with her, even as a ghost he had no trust for Wormtail, no matter what he may do to help him. If he ever found a chance to turn on Harry, and it seemed like it may benefit him, he'd do it in a heartbeat.  
  
"Can.can I go now?" Wormtail spoke up, timidly. Harry glared at him. He knew that he had to take any help he could get, but he very much didn't like the idea of spending so much time with Wormtail.  
  
"He wants to know if he can leave," Harry said to Dumbledore, jerking a thumb in Wormtail's direction.  
  
"You may," Dumbledore replied, showing no emotion at all. Harry watched as Wormtail slowly faded out of view. He still had a few questions for him, but they would have to wait. Then, as if reading his mind, Dumbledore spoke up.  
  
"I know you have many questions, but it will take time to get all the answers. For now, I think it's time you all get to sleep. Miss Granger, please have Madam Pomfrey look at that arm, I will let her know you're on your way."  
  
Hermione nodded at him as she stood up. The three of them said goodnight to Dumbledore and headed back out of the office.  
  
Ron and Hermione walked with Harry back to the portrait of the fat lady. He went inside while they continued on to the hospital wing.  
  
"Would you mind?" he had asked Hermione on their way to the tower. "I just don't want to go back down there right now. I've seen enough of it to last me the year."  
  
"Don't worry about it, there's no point in all of us going," Hermione replied.  
  
"Well, I'm still going with you," Ron said, then quickly continued as Hermione opened her mouth to protest, "and don't even try. There's nothing you can say that will stop me."  
  
"Wanna bet?" Hermione asked, pulling her wand out of her robes and fingering the tip of it, grinning wickedly at Ron.  
  
He gave her a mock horrified look and she broke down in giggles.  
  
"You wouldn't." he trailed off.  
  
"No, not for something like this anyway," she replied with a sly smile.  
  
"Good. Wait, what? You mean you'd do it for something else?" he asked with wide eyes.  
  
"Oh look, we're here," she said, changing the subject as the portrait of the fat lady came into view. "See you later Harry!" she called pleasantly. Harry waved good-bye as he watched them walk off down the hall. Ron was still trying to get Hermione to explain herself. When they were out of sight, he turned to the portrait, said the password, and walked in.  
  
"How did you do that?" he heard a voice ask as soon as he shut the portrait behind him. He looked up to see Wormtail standing in front of him.  
  
"Go away," he said harshly and headed for the stairs to go to his dorm.  
  
Wormtail didn't leave, but instead moved in front of Harry, blocking the door completely. Harry gave a frustrated sigh.  
  
"Look, I'm really tired, it's been a very long day, just move, will you?" he asked. He was in no rush to step through Wormtail, remembering the unpleasant feeling that had come over him when Nearly- Headless Nick had moved through him so long ago.  
  
"I want you to tell me how you did that first," Wormtail said stubbornly, refusing to move.  
  
"Did what?" Harry almost yelled, exasperatedly. "Called you? I don't know. I just concentrated on you being there and *poof* there you were. I only did it because Dumbledore asked me to, believe me."  
  
"Well just don't make a habit of it, alright?" Wormtail asked, sounding very bossy. Harry suddenly grinned, sweetly at him.  
  
"There's nothing you can do about it, is there? Now if you don't mind, I'd really like to get upstairs now."  
  
"What if I tell you what Draco did?" Wormtail asked. Harry looked at him, confused for a moment.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"In the class earlier, when he made that thing charge at you, I can tell you what he did."  
  
"What?" Harry asked immediately. But Wormtail just shook his head.  
  
"You have to promise first, you won't do that again."  
  
Harry looked at him carefully. He didn't want to promise anything to him. But on the other hand, he never really intended to call on him anyway. It wasn't like he had any desire to talk to him or anything. So finally, he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded.  
  
"Fine, I promise," he said.  
  
Wormtail waited a moment before replying, looking into Harry's eyes, trying to determine if he was lying or not.  
  
"He burned it," he said finally.  
  
"What? Why?" Harry asked.  
  
"How should I know, I didn't talk to him," Wormtail said, shrugging. But from the looks of things you needed to collect the tail hairs, and he was trying to burn off its entire tail."  
  
"So, he almost killed Mel, and put everyone in that pen in danger, because he was trying to cheat again? I can't believe him!" Harry yelled, feeling anger rising in him. Seeing the smirk on Wormtail's face wasn't helping matters any, but he didn't say anything. If he got much louder all the students would be downstairs wondering why he was making so much noise.  
  
"Well, are we done then?" Harry asked, feeling irate. Wormtail didn't answer, just stepped out of the way, allowing Harry to step through the door and head upstairs.  
  
The next morning at breakfast, Harry was surprised when Mel came over to his table in the great hall.  
  
"Hey," she said, smiling brilliantly at him.  
  
"Hello," he began, "what are you doing over here?"  
  
He saw the smile on her face fall, and continued quickly.  
  
"I didn't mean I don't want you here! You're always welcome! I was just wondering because I didn't think you wanted to." He smiled at her reassuringly, looking into her crystal blue eyes, and she finally returned it. He slid over a little, ignoring the disapproving looks from Ron and Ginny, and she sat down.  
  
"You look like you didn't sleep at all!" Mel cried looking at the dark circles under Harry's eyes.  
  
"I feel that way too," Harry said with a lopsided grin. "But it's not the first time, I'll just fall asleep early tonight."  
  
Mel nodded at him. She looked around at the people sitting nearby. A few Gryffindors that were close by were giving her suspicious glances, but most were just ignoring her. She looked at Harry's friends; grinning politely, then back at Harry expectantly. He was watching the way her hair moved over her shoulders that he didn't realize he was staring until Hermione kicked his leg from under the table.  
  
He inhaled sharply and glared at her, to see she was looking at him, waiting for something. Finally she sighed heavily and spoke.  
  
"Are you going to introduce us?" she asked sounding exasperated.  
  
"Oh! Sorry," Harry said, feeling his face turn red. "Melanie, these are my friends Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley. Guys this is Melanie." he paused and looked at her. "I don't know your last name yet," he whispered. She smiled at him sweetly.  
  
"It's Tristen, and you can call me Mel," she said to the others.  
  
"Nice to meet you Mel," Hermione said smiling.  
  
Ron however wasn't warming up so quickly, and Ginny was following his lead.  
  
"Tristen, huh?" Ron started, ignoring Harry's warning look. "Don't know that name. I don't remember hearing it called our first year for the sorting."  
  
"That doesn't surprise me. I don't remember yours either. Honestly the only person I do remember besides myself, is Harry's."  
  
Harry blushed slightly. He knew it was only because of how well known his name is, but he had to admit he was happy she remembered him.  
  
"So what do you want then?" Ginny spoke up, not sounding much like she cared. Mel looked at her, somewhat shocked.  
  
"I think I'll talk to you later Harry," she said crisply, standing up. "It's obvious your friends don't want me here."  
  
Before he even thought about it he jumped up from his seat with her.  
  
"Wait, don't go!" he said.  
  
"No, really. I want to grab a book from the library before class this morning, I should get down there before I don't have any time left."  
  
"I'll go with you," he said hastily.  
  
She looked at him with an amused smile and nodded.  
  
"Do what you want," she said pleasantly.  
  
He grabbed his things and waved goodbye to his friends, Hermione being the only one who didn't seem upset about this, before walking with Mel towards the doors.  
  
When they stepped into the hallway, Harry immediately turned to Mel.  
  
"I'm sorry about that," he said sincerely, looking into her eyes.  
  
"You mean your friends?" she asked lightly. He nodded at her.  
  
"They.well, Ron's not usually like that, with people he doesn't know anyway."  
  
"It's okay, you don't have to explain. He doesn't trust me because I'm in Slytherin is really what it comes down to."  
  
Harry didn't respond. He knew she was right but still didn't want to say it out loud. But before he could think of something to say, she spoke again.  
  
"Ginny seems to be quite fond of you though, so she has a completely different reason from Ron. Maybe she thinks I'm a threat?" She glanced at Harry from the corner of her eye, before looking away.  
  
"What? No, Ginny used to have somewhat of a crush on me.but now." Harry trailed off. She didn't still like him like that, did she?  
  
"Okay, if you say so," Mel said.  
  
"Wait, how can you even tell these things? You've only just met them; you were at our table for just a minute or two."  
  
"Well Ron I've heard some things about, mostly from Draco, and I know that's why he doesn't like me. He doesn't like anyone in my house, and we're sort of fine with that," she replied nonchalantly.  
  
"And Ginny?" Harry asked.  
  
"Just something about the way she looked at me, the way she looked at you, no matter how long ago you think this crush thing was, she still feels for you."  
  
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Harry said quickly. "She knows I have a girlfriend." he trailed off, realizing what he had just said. Then, just as quickly, wondered why he regretted saying it.  
  
"A girlfriend?" Mel asked, almost off-handedly. Harry nodded.  
  
"What's her name? Does she go here?"  
  
"She used to go here, graduated last year. Her name's Cho Chang."  
  
"Wow, I never would've guessed."  
  
Harry was about to ask what that was supposed to mean, when they reached the Library and Mel began to push the door open. He put his arm out quickly to stop her, and grabbed hold of the door, holding it open for her.  
  
"Thank you," she smiled, walking past him.  
  
He waited until she was in and began to step in behind her, when he heard a voice behind him.  
  
"Potter!" a very familiar voice yelled. Harry spun to see a very angry Draco Malfoy moving towards him, flanked on either side, by Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
Harry waited for Malfoy to reach him before speaking.  
  
"What is it now, Malfoy?" he asked, sounding as if he couldn't care less.  
  
Malfoy's eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
"Do you think I'm stupid? You know exactly what this is about!"  
  
Harry grinned.  
  
"Well, I won't answer that first question," he said calmly, "and I have no idea, truly, what you're on about."  
  
Malfoy took a menacing step forward and opened his mouth to speak, when his eyes flickered to something behind Harry and he stopped. Harry turned to see Mel had come back over to the doorway and was looking back and forth between the two of them.  
  
"Are you coming, Harry?" she asked finally.  
  
Harry nodded and began to step into the library, when Malfoy grabbed his arm.  
  
"Why can't you ever mind your own business?" he asked in a dangerously quiet voice. Harry turned to see Malfoy was right there, staring into his eyes.  
  
"Let go of me," he said evenly.  
  
Malfoy released his grip on Harry's arm, but didn't move away, he again turned his gaze to Mel.  
  
"What are you doing hanging out with him?" he asked jerking his thumb at Harry. Mel rolled her eyes.  
  
"Look, just because you don't like him doesn't mean I have to feel the same."  
  
"He's the reason Slytherin lost fifty points!" Malfoy said loudly. Mel looked at Harry questioningly but he didn't see it. He was giving Malfoy the same look.  
  
"No I'm not," he said finally, "what did you lose fifty points for?"  
  
Malfoy's face turned so red it was almost comical; Harry had to stifle a laugh.  
  
"You think you're funny, don't you?" he asked icily.  
  
"I'm not trying to be funny," Harry said honestly, "and I don't have time for this right now." He gave Malfoy one last glance, before turning back towards the library.  
  
It was the look on Mel's face that gave it away, he began to turn around, but wasn't quick enough. Crabbe and Goyle had taken a hold of his arms and pulled him into the hallway. He felt his back hit the wall and winced slightly at the pain that shot up his spine.  
  
Malfoy stepped in front of him. Harry struggled to free his arms, but couldn't do anything as he watched Malfoy reach into his robes and pull out his wand.  
  
"What are you doing?" Mel whispered fiercely, running up next to Draco. He never took his eyes off Harry, who despite his situation smiled at Mel. She was taking his side!  
  
"Go back into the library Mel, I'll come get you in a minute," Malfoy said.  
  
"No! You're being stupid! Our house is already in enough trouble right now with losing fifty points, you're just going to get us into more trouble!"  
  
And in that moment it was clear to Harry, she didn't care about him, only that her house didn't lose any more points. The fact that she was helping him was coincidental. He looked away from her and back to Malfoy.  
  
"Look," Harry began, still trying to free his arms, "whatever happened that made you lose points, I had nothing to do with it. Is cursing me really going to improve things?" He looked at Malfoy earnestly; it was all in his hands now.  
  
"Maybe it'll just make me feel better," Malfoy shrugged. He brought his wand up and held it directly in front of Harry's face.  
  
Fear was now creeping its way into Harry's stomach. He didn't think Malfoy would do anything bad to him, especially not inside the school. But when they had dueled at the end of last year, he had sent some pretty dangerous curses Harry's way.  
  
Suddenly Mel sprung forward, snatching Malfoy's wand from his grasp.  
  
"Hey!" he yelled turning on her. "Give it back!"  
  
"Shhh!!" she hissed, then pointed behind him. Everyone turned to look.  
  
Marzia was walking up the corridor; she had just caught sight of them and was very close now.  
  
"What are you all doing?" she asked, looking at the five of them. Her eyes fell on Crabbe and Goyle, holding Harry's arms, and she arched an eyebrow at them. They laughed nervously and quickly released him. Harry stepped away from them, towards Marzia.  
  
"Well?" she asked.  
  
"I was just on my way to the library with Harry," Mel spoke up, "and we ran into Draco and his friends. So we stopped to talk for a moment."  
  
"It looked like more than talking to me," Marzia said glaring at Draco, then she turned to Harry. "Is that all you were doing?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"That's all," he said quietly.  
  
She looked at him skeptically but nodded.  
  
"Well, all of you get going, it's almost time for class and you'll be late if you wait any longer."  
  
They all nodded at her.  
  
"Harry," Marzia said as he began to step past her, "walk with me, won't you?"  
  
He threw her a questioning glance before responding.  
  
"Sure, alright" then he turned to Mel, "See you later."  
  
"Bye!" she called cheerily, then turned and walked away with the others.  
  
Harry walked next to Marzia in silence for a few moments, thinking of Mel. Why couldn't he just think of her like he did anyone else, it wasn't as if she exhibited any real concern towards him, not when it came to her house at least. But he wanted to believe that she had been trying to stop Draco for him, and not because of the possibility that Slytherin could've lost points.  
  
"You like her, don't you?"  
  
"Huh?" Harry asked, looking at Marzia. He had been completely lost in his thoughts.  
  
"That girl back there. You like her?"  
  
"Well.sure. As a friend," Harry said, uncertainly.  
  
"Uh-huh." Marzia replied with an amused grin on her face.  
  
"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Harry asked. "I don't want to sound rude but, it seems a bit strange that this is why you asked me to walk with you."  
  
"No that wasn't the reason I wanted to talk to you, but since I see that you're fond of her, I thought I'd ask. You do know she's part Veela, don't you?" Marzia asked.  
  
Harry's jaw dropped.  
  
"She is?" he asked. "But, she doesn't look like any Veela I've seen."  
  
"Well, the Veela in her is several generations back, though it still has a strong enough effect, I see." She looked at Harry and winked.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked smirking at her. "And how do you know that about her anyway?"  
  
"I used to go to school here, remember? I knew her parents. Her mother had the same effect on boys that she seems to."  
  
"Effect?" Harry asked. "What do you mean? You only saw us together for a moment."  
  
"And in that moment she lied, and you went along with it for her. I know you didn't do it for Draco," Marzia replied. "Then when you said good-bye to her, the look in your eyes.you're falling for her, aren't you?"  
  
"What!?" Harry exclaimed then promptly blushed. He hadn't meant to yell. "I am not, she's just a friend, not a very good one either," he said crossly thinking of her attitude towards the truth when it came to house points. "Besides, I have a girlfriend."  
  
"Yes Sirius was telling me, Cho Chang, right?" Marzia asked.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Yep," he said proudly.  
  
"Well, if you want to keep it that way, I suggest you fill your head with thoughts of Cho whenever you're around Mel. Now, are you going to tell me what really happened back there?"  
  
Harry looked into Marzia's eyes and saw she wasn't going to settle for anything less than the truth. He sighed deeply.  
  
"Malfoy was just a bit irritated about his house losing points. I guess they lost fifty points for something, and he thinks it's my fault, but I have no idea what he's talking about."  
  
"Well, it was his own fault that Slytherin lost points," Marzia said matter-of-factly.  
  
"So it was something he did then?" Harry asked, wanting to know what it was. Marzia nodded.  
  
"Oh yes, you were there for it, remember, the Erumpent charging? Hagrid and Professor Gazten both knew it was Malfoy's Erumpent that charged, but we couldn't figure out if it had been provoked by him, or if something else set it off."  
  
"Well I'm guessing that since Slytherin lost fifty points you found out it was Malfoy, but how did you find out?" Harry asked.  
  
"A Gryffindor student saw what he did, and reported it to Professor Dumbledore. Apparently Malfoy was trying to burn its tail off and ended up burning the creature. The burn marks didn't show up on the rough skin of the animal and so Professor Dumbledore had to use a revealing charm to see that was indeed what had happened."  
  
Harry was a bit surprised, not about the tail-burning because Wormtail had told him that the night before. He had actually been planning on reporting Malfoy himself today. But he didn't think any of the students out there had seen what happened. Most of them were busy watching him try to get over to Malfoy.  
  
"Who saw him?" Harry asked.  
  
"The student asked Dumbledore that their name not be revealed, I guess they're afraid that Malfoy will try and do something to them, sort of like what happened to you today.  
  
"Malfoy blames me for all his problems," Harry said rolling his eyes. Then he shrugged. "Oh well, I'm used to it by now."  
  
They had been talking as they walked through the halls, and Harry didn't realize they were already at the door to his next class.  
  
"Don't get into any trouble now, got it?" Marzia asked, smiling at him. "And steer clear of Malfoy, for a little while anyway."  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"Don't worry, I always try to do that." He waved at her before turning and heading into the class.  
  
The weekend arrived at last, and with it came quidditch practice. Harry had decided on Friday that they should start right away, seeing as how the team hadn't played together since early last year. So he woke early on Saturday morning, grabbed his Moontrimmer, and headed down to breakfast. The only other member of the team in the great hall was Su Chang.  
  
"Hey Su," Harry smiled, sitting down across from her, "How are you?"  
  
"Hello Harry," she smiled back. "I'm great, can't wait to get started practicing though. Hopefully we get to play the full season this year."  
  
Harry felt the blood rushing to his face and he lowered his head. He knew the season was cancelled because of him last year.  
  
"I hope so too," he mumbled.  
  
She waited till he looked back up at her before reaching across and giving him a reassuring pat on his arm.  
  
"Don't worry about that now, nothing you could've done," she said gently. "Besides," she smirked, "we still have this year, and I want to win the quidditch cup before you leave!"  
  
Harry beamed at her, marveling at how it seemed all women, no matter how young or old, were able to read your expressions and know exactly what you were thinking.  
  
"You're right," Harry said jubilantly, "and we're going to!"  
  
As the two of them began to eat they talked about their summers, and anything that didn't involve the past week. Harry was very grateful that Su didn't ask anything about all the strange things that had been happening around him lately, as he knew she must have heard about them. Everyone in the school seemed to stare at him wherever he went now, more so than they ever did before.  
  
"So I can't wait for Hogsmeade," Su was saying, excitedly, "it's the first year I'm allowed to go."  
  
"Oh you'll love it!" Harry replied, animatedly. "There's so much to do, and you have to try the butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, it's the best!"  
  
They talked for a few more minutes about all the shops to visit and soon the rest of the team arrived. Ron was the last person to make it to the table, looking as if he'd been hit by a truck.  
  
"Why do we practice so early?" he asked in a whiney voice. "Isn't Saturday long enough that we can get up after the sun rises?"  
  
Harry just shook his head and laughed to himself.  
  
"Oh stop complaining," he said, giving Ron and affectionate punch in the arm. "And eat your breakfast, we need to get practicing!"  
  
When they had finished eating, the team made their way to the quidditch pitch, brooms in hand. They went to the changing rooms first, so Harry could talk to them before practice.  
  
"Well," he began, "what I want to do, is try out some harder maneuvers than we've used in the past. Now I'm not one for big, long, drawn out explanations, because the best way to learn it is to do it. But if you want me to go through everything here first, I will." he trailed off looking around.  
  
Everyone was shaking their head vigorously.  
  
"Alright then," Harry said with a smile, "let's get out there."  
  
For the first few minutes everyone took a few laps around the pitch. They began by reviewing a lot of the things they had gone over last year. After a half hour, Harry told them they were going to try some new formations.  
  
"Okay, what we're going to do first is a maneuver only the chasers can use," Harry began looking at Ginny, Su and Ray. "It's called a Porskoff Ploy. The way it works is whichever one of you is carrying the Quaffle has to fly upwards; hopefully the chasers on the other team take the bait and follow you. When you've got them far enough away from the others, drop the Quaffle to one of your fellow Chasers who will be waiting to catch it. With the other team's chasers out of the way, the only thing you have to do is get it past the keeper without being hit by a bludger."  
  
They looked at him with wide eyes, silently.  
  
"What, don't think you can do it?" he asked, tauntingly. That was all it took, their faces hardened in expressions of resolve and Harry knew he had them.  
  
"Who wants to go first?" he asked.  
  
The three chasers took turns letting one of them fly it up into the air with the quaffle, while Dean and Natalie acted as the opposing chasers. They found it was much harder than it sounded to drop the Quaffle accurately enough so that their teammate would catch it, while at the same time not dropping it so close that an opposing chaser could seize it.  
  
The problem came when Ginny was the one in possession of the Quaffle and tried to take it up into the air. She was using Fred's old broom, a Cleansweep, and it wasn't cut out for the heights she needed to reach.  
  
"I can't make it," she finally said flying over to Harry, out of breath from her efforts. "Sorry," she added apologetically. Harry thought for a moment. It would do no good to just say that she would always be one of the chasers to catch the quaffle because you never knew how the game was going to play out, and who would be required to do what. Suddenly, an idea struck him  
  
"Hang on a minute," he said, then flew down to the ground. The rest of the team followed him and were giving him questioning looks.  
  
"I'm just going to head up to the school for a moment, I'll be right back. You guys keep practicing while I'm gone."  
  
Harry took off and ran all the way back up to the school. Once inside he headed straight for the Gryffindor tower. He passed a few students here and there, but no one he recognized. When he was in the common room, he went up to his dorm and over to his closet, pulling out his Firebolt. He knew Ginny would love to use this and it would certainly be much better than the outdated broom she was using. He quickly shut his closet, ran downstairs and went back into the hallway. He had only made it a few steps, however, when he heard a voice behind him.  
  
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"  
  
Harry spun around to see Mel standing a few feet away from him.  
  
She stepped a bit closer to him and he quickly realized his mouth was open. He shut it with a snap and cleared his throat.  
  
"I'm going back out to the pitch, for quidditch practice," he answered. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm on my way back from the north tower," she answered, casually. "I had to ask Professor Trelawny a few questions about one of her assignments." As if to confirm this she held up a few scrolls in her left hand.  
  
"You take divination too?" Harry asked, trying not to sound as disgusted as he felt over the subject. Mel nodded at him. "Are you good at it?" he continued.  
  
At this Mel actually laughed out loud.  
  
"Are you kidding? That lady's a quack! She hasn't got a clue on what she's talking about."  
  
A smile spread across Harry's face.  
  
"Can't argue with you there," he said. "Well, I better get going, the team's waiting for me."  
  
"Is that your broom?" she asked, cutting him off.  
  
"Huh?" Harry asked.  
  
Mel extended her arm and pointed at the Firebolt.  
  
"Is that your broom?"  
  
Harry glanced down and then back at her.  
  
"This?" he asked holding it up, immediately feeling stupid for asking. "Um.yes, it's mine."  
  
"Can I see it?" she asked, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Sure," Harry answered uncertainly. He held out the Firebolt and cautiously handed it to her.  
  
"Wow, never thought I'd get to hold one of these," she said, staring at the broom in awe.  
  
"The first time I saw one, neither did I," Harry replied. He was sounding cheerful enough, but didn't take his eyes off the broom while she held it. He wouldn't put it past her to do something that would gain her house points, even if he was right there watching her.  
  
"I'm sorry," he spoke up again, "but I really have to get back now, everyone's waiting for me."  
  
"Okay, sure," she said smiling. "Sorry to hold you up." She handed the broom back to him carefully.  
  
"Don't worry about it," he said. "See you later!" He waved at her before turning and heading back towards the main entrance. Once she was out of sight he gave a frustrated sigh. He had wanted to confront her on her actions the other day, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it. He had to admit to himself that he did like her, and hoped it wasn't just because she was part Veela.  
  
As he reached the doors he shook these thoughts from his head, it was time to concentrate on quidditch. He ran out into the fresh air, and headed back down to the pitch.  
  
When he reached the others he headed straight for Ginny and thrust the Firebolt into her hands and her jaw dropped.  
  
"Try that," he said with a smile.  
  
"Are you sure? You'll let me use your Firebolt?" Ginny asked in amazement.  
  
"Well I'm not gonna use it," Harry laughed. "And you'll be able to get the height you need, so might as well get some use out of it."  
  
Ginny let out a squeal of excitement. She put the broom down and flung her arms around Harry's neck.  
  
"Thank you!" she cried. When she pulled back she was wearing the biggest smile Harry had ever seen.  
  
"Now, I want to see you up there practicing," he said pointing. "Got it?"  
  
She nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"Alright, let's go," he said with a smirk.  
  
The team practiced for two more hours, going over and over the Porskoff Ploy. By the end of the session they were pretty good at it.  
  
"Great job guys!" Harry told them after they all had landed. We'll go over that some more next practice, and if you're up to it, we'll start learning a new one."  
  
They headed back up to the school together, Harry, Ron and Ginny lagging behind the others. When they walked up the steps Ron stepped through the doors first and abruptly stopped moving, causing Harry to slam into his back.  
  
"What are you.?" Harry began.  
  
"Shhh!" Ron cut him off. Harry looked around Ron to see Percy was a few feet away from them, speaking with Professor McGonagall. He turned however when he saw the door open and was glaring past Ron at Harry. Professor McGonagall followed his gaze, and looked at Percy questioningly.  
  
"I'll take you to see the headmaster now, Mr. Weasley," she said firmly. Percy didn't respond, just kept glaring, until McGonagall reached out a hand and touched his arm. He sprung back as if she had bit him, and rubbed his arm. She gave him an irritated look, then turned and began walking. "Follow me please, Mr. Weasley."  
  
Percy gave one more resentful glance to Harry, before finally turning to follow McGonagall.  
  
"What was that all about?" Harry asked when Percy was out of sight. Ron just looked at him miserably.  
  
"I have to go, research.something." he said hastily, then before Harry could answer, he turned and headed back towards the Gryffindor Tower.  
  
"Well, that was the worst lie I've ever heard," Harry said out loud, not sure if he should be offended or not. He turned and looked at Ginny. "I suppose you aren't going to tell me what just happened either?"  
  
Ginny looked into Harry's eyes, clearly not wanting to say anything.  
  
"Look," he began, "I know Percy doesn't seem to like me very much anymore, I've known that since last year."  
  
"You do?" Ginny said, looking up, startled.  
  
"When Fudge was found, insane, some of the ministry members came to ask me a few questions. Since I was the last one who supposedly saw him sane, though I'd argue the fact he was sane at that time. Percy seemed downright horrified that I would even suggest Fudge had tried to kidnap me, he and Thurston thought I made the whole thing up."  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
"There didn't seem any need to. I just told you that some of the ministry didn't believe me, which was the truth. I didn't see a reason to say anything bad about Percy to you, and I'd hoped it wasn't something that would last." He looked over his shoulder towards the hallway Percy had went down and sighed, quietly. "I guess it did though."  
  
"Well, Ron probably wouldn't have left if he knew you knew," Ginny said.  
  
"If he knew I knew?" Harry asked. "Ginny, what's going on?"  
  
"Percy.well, he's been acting very strange for quite some time now," she said sadly. She looked down, as if ashamed, trying to hide her face.  
  
"Hey," Harry said, "don't be upset, whatever it is, it's not your fault."  
  
"I know it's not," she said looking back up at him, tears in her eyes. "It's just." she trailed off.  
  
"Let's walk," he said, taking her hand in his. "C'mon, it'll be better than talking about this right here."  
  
"Where to?" Ginny asked, taking a step forward.  
  
"Anywhere, it doesn't matter," Harry said smiling.  
  
"Okay," Ginny said uncertainly.  
  
They started down the closest hallway, and walked for a few moments in silence. Harry didn't pressure her any; he saw by her facial expression that she wanted to tell him something, so he waited. Finally, she sighed heavily, and turned to him.  
  
"Harry, Percy hasn't just been acting strange, he's been acting mean," Ginny began.  
  
"Ron mentioned that over the summer, but he didn't say much else. He hasn't hurt you right?" Harry asked immediately.  
  
Ginny shook her head quickly.  
  
"No! Nothing like that, but my mum's all torn up over it. She doesn't sleep much anymore."  
  
"Ginny, I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. I know what it's like to be mistreated by relatives, but to go from being close with them first, to this," Harry shook his head, sadly. "I can't imagine that."  
  
"He isn't the same person Harry. He looks like Percy but he doesn't act like him. The slightest things set him off; he's more irritable than he ever was before."  
  
"Did you ever ask him why? I mean, try and talk to him about it?" Harry asked.  
  
Ginny nodded.  
  
"Hundreds of times, he would either ignore me or tell me to mind my own business. He would go on and on, ranting to anyone who'd listen about all the problems of the ministry and the horrible changes that were occurring. And it seemed that everything that happened.well." she trailed off.  
  
Harry waited, trying hard not to prompt her on. It was obviously a very stressful situation and he didn't want to pressure her.  
  
"He blames it on you," she said finally, almost whispering.  
  
Harry looked at her, stunned.  
  
"Why?" he finally managed to ask.  
  
"I don't know!" she wailed. "But he would say the nastiest things about you, and mum would scold him for it. Then they would get into a huge argument that would last for hours. Ron and I were constantly trying to find things to do out of the house, so we wouldn't have to be around for them, as they'd happen every day. Percy finally ended up moving out, saying he couldn't bear to live with a family that refused to see the truth about.about someone who was so obviously trying to create chaos and give the ministry a bad reputation." Ginny didn't look at Harry when she said this, she couldn't bear to meet his eyes.  
  
"I never knew he felt so strongly about it," Harry said, he hadn't really known what to expect, but what he'd just heard left him feeling somewhat overwhelmed.  
  
"None of us knew," Ginny said. "And Ron couldn't bear to tell you. He's very embarrassed by Percy's behavior, not that I'm not, but I thought you deserved to know."  
  
Harry gave her a weak smile.  
  
"I'm glad you did. I still wish I knew what happened to first make him feel this way, but at least I have more of an idea now." He stopped talking and looked around.  
  
"Where are we?" Ginny asked, as if reading his thoughts.  
  
"I think we're in the dungeon area," Harry answered, wishing he'd paid a bit more attention to where they had been walking while they talked. "C'mon, let's head back. I don't like to be down here when I don't have to be."  
  
"I couldn't agree with you more," Ginny said. The two of them began taking very quick steps to get out of there, apparently they had walked for quite a ways, as it was taking longer than either of them expected. They were coming to the end of one hallway, when Harry suddenly felt very cold. His first thought was it was Wormtail again and he stopped walking to look around. Ginny stopped too and looked at him questioningly.  
  
"Why did you stop?" she asked, rubbing her hands together. Harry's eyes widened.  
  
"You feel it too?" he asked.  
  
"Feel what?" she replied.  
  
"The cold.are you cold?"  
  
Ginny nodded.  
  
"Very cold, could we please move now, I really, really don't want to be here anymore. 


	6. Chapter 6

"C'mon," Harry said wanting to get away from there as soon as possible. If it was Wormtail, there was no way Ginny would be able to feel it. Dread began to settle over him. He put his arm around Ginny in an effort to keep her warm, but didn't think it would help much. The icy feeling was inside, not just the temperature of the air around them.  
  
They moved silently to the end of the hallway and turned the corner, only to come to a dead stop. A dementor was standing less then 5 feet away, moving swiftly towards them. Ginny screamed and Harry let go of her, he thrust his hands into his robes for his wand. Already the sounds of his mother's pleas for his life were filling his head.  
  
The dementor had reached forward and grabbed Ginny by the shoulders, pulling her close to itself. She looked as if she were paralyzed, and made no effort to get away.  
  
"No!" Harry screamed as he pulled his wand out of pocket. He concentrated with all of his strength on his new home, and living with Sirius.  
  
"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled. At once the familiar silver light streamed from the tip of his wand taking the shape of Prongs. It headed straight for the dementor holding Ginny.  
  
The dementor let go of her, and skittered away quickly back down the corridor, followed by the stag. Ginny slumped to the floor, crying and Harry went to her.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked full of concern. She didn't answer him, just stayed where she was, cross-legged on the floor, rocking herself back and forth.  
  
"Ginny, please answer me," Harry said, touching her shoulder. She slowly raised her head to meet his eyes.  
  
"It was.was." she began through choked sobs. Her eyes flickered upwards looking past Harry, and widened in terror. It was then he realized the cold feeling was still all around them, and he jumped up. He spun around quickly raising his wand as his mother's screams began filling his head once more, but he wasn't fast enough.  
  
The Dementor was too close, and it knocked his wand out of his grasp. Harry tried to keep his head clear, to block out the horrific cries, but it was of no use, he was paralyzed with fear as the dementor pulled back the hood covering its sickening face underneath. It crept its rotting hands around Harry's neck and raised his face to its own, ready to administer the kiss.  
  
Harry felt himself blacking out, but fought against it. He knew that if the dementor was able to take his soul, he'd never really wake up again. When he did, he wouldn't even know he was awake. He struggled to lift his hands up, and used every ounce of strength he had to keep the dementor's face away from his own. Ginny was screaming and yelling curse after curse, but she couldn't perform the one spell that would save Harry. She had never been taught how to make a Patronus.  
  
Harry did the only thing he could think of, while trying hard not to hear his mother's voice ringing in his head, he concentrated on summoning Wormtail.  
  
A violent shiver ran through him despite the fact that he was already freezing from the dementor's presence, and Wormtail was standing at his side.  
  
"You promised me you wouldn't." he began to say angrily, then realized what was happening, and a look of terror came over him.  
  
"My wand." Harry said weakly. His wand had been knocked several feet away from him and he had no way of reaching it. Wormtail looked around frantically; when at last he spotted the wand, he hastily snatched it up, then spun back around.  
  
Harry couldn't hold on any longer, his eyelids were flickering in his effort to keep them open and the dementor was so close now he could feel its breath. Ginny had stopped throwing curses at it, at a loss for how to help Harry.  
  
Suddenly, Harry saw a bright silvery light and he felt the dementor's grip release him. He fell to the floor, gasping for breath. When he looked up, the dementor was nowhere to be seen, and something silver was slithering off down the hall, supposedly chasing it.  
  
Ginny rushed to his side, and he looked into her tear-stained face.  
  
"I thought it was going to kill you." she trailed off. "How did you do that?" she asked. Her voice was trembling.  
  
Harry just looked at her, not sure what she meant. He hadn't done anything and had been thinking the same as her. Then he remembered seeing Wormtail for a few seconds. Did he really succeed in calling him? He hadn't been sure if he was seeing things. He looked around and spotted Wormtail standing a few feet away, where his wand had been laying.  
  
"Did you." he began. Wormtail nodded, stiffly. He moved over to where Harry was sitting and bent down, holding his wand out to him.  
  
"What's going on?" Ginny asked, her eyes fixed on the wand. To her it appeared as if it was floating in mid-air. Harry lifted his arm, which took effort, and grabbed the wand.  
  
"Thank you," he said to Wormtail. It felt weird to say that to him, but he felt wrong not saying it.  
  
"Who are you talking to?" Ginny asked, alarmed. Harry had forgotten she hadn't been there the night he found out about Wormtail.  
  
He tried to stand up but couldn't quite make it. Ginny helped him some, though she was very weak as well. When he finally was on his feet, he leaned back against the wall.  
  
"What we need is chocolate," Harry muttered.  
  
"I think we need to see Madam Pomfrey," Ginny replied. Harry groaned inwardly, but nodded.  
  
Wormtail was still standing nearby, not having spoken since he first arrived. Harry wondered briefly why Wormtail hadn't warned him about the dementors in the first place, but decided to ask him later. He started to move down the hallway, using the wall for support.  
  
"So, do you know what happened?" Ginny asked again, as they moved slowly through the halls.  
  
"I think so," Harry replied. He looked over his shoulder to see Wormtail was following them. "Do you remember being told about Peter Pettigrew?" he asked her.  
  
"Wormtail?" she asked not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice. "What's he got to do with anything?"  
  
Wormtail gave her an indignant glare and Harry rushed on. He explained as quickly as possible what he had found out a few nights ago.  
  
"So you have to drag him around with you?" Ginny asked. "That's horrible. But what does that have to do with what just happened?"  
  
"I summoned him, brought him here. I couldn't think of anything else to do," Harry replied, then paused before continuing. "He saved me."  
  
"So, he's the one that did that spell then? Like the one you did to make the dementor let go of me?" Ginny asked.  
  
"The Patronus, yes," Harry said, then continued. "Did you get a good look at it? The Patronus he conjured?"  
  
Ginny nodded.  
  
"What was it?"  
  
"Well.it kind of resembled a rather large.worm," she said, uncertainly.  
  
Harry turned to look at Wormtail; he arched an eyebrow.  
  
"What's wrong with that?" Wormtail asked crossly.  
  
Harry just shook his head, when another thought occurred to him.  
  
"I didn't even know ghosts were able to use wands," he said.  
  
"Oh yes," Ginny answered, casually. "They aren't allowed their own wands because there are many ghosts, such as Peeves, that would use it to cause chaos. But they can use them just like we can."  
  
"It's a wonder Peeves just doesn't go around stealing our wands then," Harry replied, "I wouldn't put it past him."  
  
"Well they can't take a wand without a wizard or witch's permission. You must have given it to Wormtail or he wouldn't have been able to touch it."  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
"I guess I did," he said.  
  
They were finally coming to the last hall before the hospital wing, and Harry was glad. He didn't think he'd be able to make it much further, and looking at Ginny he saw the same went for her.  
  
As they turned the last corner, Wormtail stopped. Harry gave him a curious look.  
  
"This is it for me, I'm not going near Dumbledore again. The hospital wing is right there so you'll be fine," he said.  
  
"Why did you come with us this far then?" Harry asked.  
  
Wormtail hesitated before answering.  
  
"To make sure you made it back alright, of course," he finally said, as if it should have been completely obvious.  
  
"Oh," Harry replied, not sure what to say. He watched as Wormtail faded from view, before continuing on towards the hospital wing.  
  
"Hey!" Ginny said, smiling and pointing in front of them. Harry looked down the hall to see Dumbledore and Lupin entering the hospital wing, deep in conversation. The doors slammed shut behind them before Harry could call out.  
  
"Well," he said, turning to Ginny, "we were headed there anyway, let's go see what's up."  
  
The two of them made it to the hospital wing doors and almost collapsed through them. Sirius, Lupin and Marzia were halfway across the room talking, and looked up when they heard them enter.  
  
"Harry!" Sirius yelled as his godson fell to his knees. Ginny was swaying on her feet and collapsed only a second later. Harry lunged to catch her so her head wouldn't hit the floor, and just barely made it.  
  
"I can't hold her," Harry said weakly as the other three reached him. Lupin bent down and gently lifted Ginny; he carried her to the nearest bed while Sirius helped Harry over to a chair.  
  
"What happened?" Sirius asked, his eyes showing his concern. Harry looked up at him, unable to speak. His vision blurred and he was afraid for a moment that he would pass out, he shut his eyes. After a moment, he felt it would be safe to open them again, and saw Dumbledore was there too now.  
  
"Dementors," he managed to say before anyone could speak, "two of them, near the dungeons."  
  
All four pairs of eyes looking at him widened slightly.  
  
"How?" Sirius asked, glancing at Dumbledore.  
  
"I don't know," Dumbledore replied gravely. Lupin meanwhile was using his wand to conjure up a chocolate bar, which he handed to Harry.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said gratefully before biting into it; the warmth that immediately spread through him was most welcome. He took a few more bites, feeling his energy return, before looking back up at the others.  
  
"Do you feel up to telling us what happened?" Dumbledore asked, kindly.  
  
Harry nodded, slowly, then asked a question.  
  
"Did you tell them," he asked Dumbledore gesturing to the others, "about the other night?"  
  
"You mean about Wormtail?" Sirius asked through clenched teeth. His expression became very cloudy.  
  
"Yes, him," Harry said. He sighed lightly before starting to speak. He watched the expressions on their faces as he told them what happened, but no one, thankfully, interrupted him. When he was finished, his throat was a bit dry.  
  
"Why wouldn't Wormtail have warned Harry about the dementors?" Lupin asked, immediately.  
  
Dumbledore stroked his chin in thought, but before he could answer, Sirius spoke up.  
  
"What I want to know is how they got here in the first place," Sirius said. "And why did one of them try to administer the kiss on Harry?"  
  
"Good questions," Dumbledore spoke up, "ones to which I too want the answers. But I don't have them as of this moment."  
  
Harry hoped they at least found out about the dementors quickly. He didn't fancy another run in with them any time soon. As for Wormtail, he would ask him himself next time he saw him.  
  
Before anyone could say anything else, Madam Pomfrey ran over from the opposite side of the hospital wing.  
  
"Headmaster!" she cried, full of distress, "he's getting worse, I don't think Allison can hold him any more!"  
  
Dumbledore stood up immediately.  
  
"Excuse me, please," he said then quickly followed Pomfrey over towards where Snape's bed was.  
  
"What's going on?" Harry asked, alarmed.  
  
"It seems that Professor Snape has gotten worse over the past few days," Marzia told him gently.  
  
"What?" Harry asked shooting up out of his chair. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"  
  
"Harry, sit down, you've had a very rough day." Sirius began, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Sirius, you don't understand!" Harry cried. "If he dies, it's because of me, I can't let that happen, not again! We have to do something!"  
  
"Again?" Remus asked. "Harry, what do you mean by."  
  
"I want to see him," Harry cut him off. "Please?" he asked.  
  
Sirius looked at him skeptically, but Marzia spoke up before he could say anything.  
  
"Of course you can, just don't disturb what they are doing to try and help him, okay?" She looked up at Sirius and Remus to see them staring at her. "Don't give me those looks you two, I don't see any reason Harry shouldn't be allowed to see Snape."  
  
Harry stepped passed Sirius and walked with Marzia to where Snape was, and the other two followed. But when Snape came into view, Harry wasn't prepared for what he was going to see. He had expected him to look like he had a fever, pale and clammy, but it was much worse.  
  
Snape was thrashing in the bed, clawing at his neck. It looked almost like he was trying to pull something off of himself, something that was choking him. His breathing was very shallow, and coming in short gasps. His eyes were pressed shut so tight it looked painful.  
  
Professor Gazten was there, whispering something over him, while Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey looked on, grim expressions set on their faces.  
  
"What's she doing?" Harry whispered to Marzia, not taking his eyes off of Snape. But before Marzia could answer, Gazten collapsed into the chair behind her, unconscious. Madam Pomfrey exchanged a worried glance with Dumbledore before rushing to Gazten's side.  
  
"What do we do now?" she asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head, gravely, and didn't speak.  
  
Harry stood there, unmoving, shocked over what was happening. He had been under the impression, until a few moments ago, that Snape was slowly recovering. Now it appeared as if he would be dead in a matter of minutes.  
  
"We have to do something!" he said, finding his voice.  
  
"Harry," Sirius began, stepping next to his godson, "there's nothing we can do."  
  
"No!" Harry said firmly. "There's got to be something! Do we know what's wrong with him? Why is this happening?" he asked frantically. He looked into Sirius' face, then turned to Dumbledore.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore said soothingly, still looking very distraught, "I want nothing more than to know how to help Professor Snape, but he is being attacked by something of which we have no knowledge. As you can see it is invisible to us."  
  
Harry looked back at Snape's thrashing form. He was dying, right in front of everyone, and no one knew how to help him.  
  
He stepped forward towards the bed, stopping next to it. Was something actually choking him? Was it a dream?  
  
"He's in a coma," Gazten spoke up weakly from behind him; he spun around to face her. "A very deep one, and he's being attacked, by something we can't touch."  
  
"How do we get him out of it then?" Harry asked. "Or if we can't do that, then how do we stop what's attacking him?"  
  
"I've tried," she said, earnestly, "at first he was able to hold off his attacker on his own, but he grew too weak, and it was able to overcome him. Without being where he is, I can do nothing."  
  
"What do you mean? He's right here!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"I'm talking about mentally. I can see him physically, but that's all. I need to see what he's seeing, to help him."  
  
"You don't know how to do that?" he whispered, seeing the sad look in her eyes.  
  
She shook her head slowly, and Harry's heart sank. Dumbledore didn't know what to do, and Gazten was the only one that Harry suspected knew magic that they didn't. If they couldn't figure this out no one could.  
  
He turned once more to see Snape, barely breathing now, and knew it would be over in minutes. Whatever enemy he was facing, the battle was coming to an end. His hands were still near his throat, straining with the little strength left in him to pull something away.  
  
Harry didn't know why he did it, but he stretched his hand out towards Snape's neck. Suddenly there was a sharp pain in his hand, which made him pull his arm back quickly. He looked at his hand in shock as there was blood dripping from two large holes in his palm, and barely had time to register what was happening, before he slumped, unconscious, to the floor.  
  
Harry opened his eyes and saw he was still in the hospital wing; Sirius, Remus and Marzia were leaning over him, while Madam Pomfrey was cleaning his hand.  
  
"I'm fine," he said, sitting up quickly. "I don't know what happened there."  
  
"Let's get him to a bed," Remus said quietly.  
  
"What? No, I said I was fine; really." he trailed off. He watched as Sirius pointed his wand at him and lifted his limp form up and across the room to a bed.  
  
Harry sat on the floor, astounded. How could this be happening? He was still sitting right there, but he just watched himself float across the room. He stood up, feeling shaky, and quickly remembered what had caused him to faint in the first place. Looking over at Professor Snape's bed, he saw he was still lying there, grasping at his throat, only this time he could see what was choking him.  
  
A black snake with blue banding had coiled itself around Snape's neck, squeezing the life out of him.  
  
"Stop!" Harry cried, hearing it come out as a low hiss. Snape's eyes were open, and they were looking at Harry, filled with terror.  
  
"Let go of him," Harry said evenly, looking into the snake's black eyes. It pushed itself up to be level with Harry's face, before answering.  
  
"You shouldn't have come here," it hissed.  
  
"I have no idea how I got here, but I'm not going to let you kill him," Harry replied.  
  
With that the snake finally released its hold on Snape and lunged at Harry, who barely managed to step out of the way. He thrust his hands into his pockets only to find they were empty, he didn't have his wand.  
  
He took a few steps back, trying not to panic.  
  
"You can't tell me what to do, this is my realm," the snake hissed at him. It was slithering on the floor towards him, and Harry saw it was only about three feet long, but that did little to ease his worry. He looked up at Snape who was now greedily gulping in air, and was glad he was still alive. But if he didn't figure out a way to get rid of this snake, they would both be dead.  
  
"Look he's stopped!" Gazten called to the others, gesturing towards Snape. "He's breathing a little better now."  
  
As soon as Harry's eyes were averted the snake took its chance, it again lunged at him and before Harry realized what was happening it coiled itself around his neck. He immediately began trying to pry the snake away from him, but it was too strong, and he began to fight for air.  
  
"You will be much tastier than he would be," the snake hissed in Harry's ear, "much more power within you."  
  
Harry couldn't reply, all he could do was try to breathe.  
  
"Harry!" he heard Sirius yell and looked up, anxiously. Could he see him?  
  
But his godfather was bent over his comatose form, which was now doing much the same thing Snape had been doing earlier. Grasping at something invisible around his throat, and gasping for air.  
  
Great, Harry thought, distantly, I've successfully managed to get myself into the same predicament Snape was in, with no one able to do anything.  
  
His vision was blurring now, and blackness was fading in and out. He knew he couldn't pass out, or it would all be over. He used every ounce of concentration he could muster to stay awake, but he could no longer stay standing. He felt his back press up against the closest wall and slid down to the floor.  
  
"Don't fight it," the snake hissed, "here, I'll make it quicker for you." The snake crept down his side and sunk its fangs deeply into Harry's arm. He felt half of his strength drain away in that instant, and nearly blacked out entirely, but held on. He wasn't fighting just for himself right now, and refused to give in so easily.  
  
"You are much stronger than I originally thought," the snake hissed, sounding quite gleeful. "But I tire of this game." Harry watched with horror as the snake brought its face directly in front of his own. He felt a strange sensation running thru him and quickly became aware of a cloud of light surrounding him.  
  
The snake opened its mouth and began sucking in the cloud, drinking it down like water. Harry didn't know what was going on but he knew he didn't want the snake to get any more of it inside him; he had to stop it.  
  
He struggled to loosen the snake's grip in the slightest, thinking if he could move it away from him just a little he could slip it over his head. But the snake was much stronger than him, and with the little bit of air he was actually getting; he didn't have the energy.  
  
Harry felt his eyes fluttering and a feeling of hopelessness settled over him, when suddenly he heard something that made his heart jump.  
  
The snake was retching; it seemed, on the cloud. He didn't know what the cloud was, but the snake choking was certainly a good thing in his opinion. He felt the strong muscles in the snakes body loosen their grip around his neck and was finally able to pry it loose.  
  
As he tossed it on the floor, he saw it was now secreting a green substance, filling the air with a rotted stench, and glaring, darkly, at him.  
  
It gurgled something that was incomprehensible, before giving a final retch, and melting into the floor.  
  
Harry stared at the disgusting puddle of filth on the floor before getting shakily to his feet. He made his way over to where Snape was lying on the bed.  
  
"Are you alright?" Harry asked him breathlessly, when he saw Snape looking up at him.  
  
Before Snape could answer, Harry felt a surge of energy rush thru him, and everything went black. He didn't pass out though, and when his vision returned he was lying on the bed Sirius had moved him to before. He looked around to see Sirius, Remus and Marzia looking down at him, their faces a mixture of confusion and joy.  
  
"Harry," Sirius said, his voice showing how relieved he was. "What happened? You started doing the same thing as Snape." he trailed off.  
  
"I'm okay Sirius, I feel fine actually." It was the truth too, as soon as he had opened his eyes he felt as if nothing had happened. He started to get out of the bed and Sirius held him back.  
  
"Fine?" he asked, sounding skeptical. "A few moments ago you were gasping for air and now you're fine?"  
  
Harry nodded at him. He looked around his godfather to see Snape was now sitting up as well.  
  
"Look, see?" Harry said pointing. "Snape's up too. C'mon."  
  
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. The four of them walked across the room, stopping next to Snape's bed.  
  
Madam Pomfrey was frantically checking over Snape in amazement, despite his protests that he was fine. Dumbledore and Gazten stood nearby, trying to hide their amusement.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey!" Snape shouted, becoming angry at last, "I assure you I'm fine, now will you please." he trailed off when he caught sight of Harry.  
  
His eyes narrowed and Harry almost took a step back. Surely he had done nothing that Snape could possibly yell at him for. He braced himself for the screaming that was coming.  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Potter," Snape said so quietly Harry almost didn't hear him say it. He nodded at the potions master.  
  
"You're welcome," he replied, in a normal tone of voice.  
  
"Okay," Remus spoke up. "Who wants to explain what just happened here?"  
  
Before anyone could speak, the doors to the hospital wing banged open, and everyone turned to see who had entered.  
  
"Told you," Hermione said in a taunting voice, sticking her tongue out at Ron, who rolled his eyes at her.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger, is there a problem?" Dumbledore asked, tolerantly.  
  
They looked at him, then to Harry, before Hermione spoke.  
  
"We were looking for Harry, professor. We were supposed to go visit with Hagrid today and we already checked the rest of the places we thought he might be. I suggested we come here, but Ron said he'd never come here if he didn't have to. I thought he might be checking up on Professor Snape again." she trailed off, looking at everyone.  
  
"What did we interrupt?" she asked, blushing slightly.  
  
No one said anything for a moment, and Harry noticed Snape had been giving him a peculiar look since Hermione said he was checking up on the potions master. He turned to Dumbledore at last, deciding to explain what had just happened, and tell Ron and Hermione about the dementors later.  
  
"There was a snake, choking Professor Snape. That's what bit me, I think," Harry said, holding up his hand. The bleeding had stopped but the blood was dried to his hand, and the places where the snake's fangs had pierced his skin were throbbing. He glanced down at his arm to see the other bite marks were gone. Wondering how this was possible, he decided to just continue, and hope Dumbledore might have some explanation.  
  
"You saw a snake, Harry?" Sirius asked, then looked at Dumbledore. "How is it that we didn't see it?"  
  
"Let Mr. Potter go on Sirius, then we can try to figure this out."  
  
"I didn't see it when my hand was first bitten," Harry continued, as Madam Pomfrey was now having him sit in a chair so she could take care of his injury. He explained everything that had happened from when he passed out until he woke up in the bed Sirius had put him in. When he was done, he looked at the faces around him.  
  
Ron and Hermione were by far the most confused looking of everyone, Sirius, Remus and Marzia looked disturbed by what they had just heard, and Dumbledore was deep in thought. Snape was sitting on the bed still, an unreadable expression on his face and Gazten was looking intently at Harry. She was the first to speak after an awkward silence.  
  
"Harry, you said the snake was black with blue banding, did it have a flat head and black eyes?" she asked in a very serious tone.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"You saw it?" he asked in surprise.  
  
"Not today I didn't," she replied, "but I've seen them before."  
  
"Them?" Remus asked. "There are more of these things?"  
  
Gazten nodded.  
  
"Yes, many more. They're called Dream Snakes."  
  
She looked around at the room full of blank stares, only Dumbledore seemed to show some recognition, before continuing.  
  
"Dream Snakes don't live in the same plane of existence as us. We live in what is known as the Material Plane, while they live in the Ethereal Plane. We can't see the Ethereal Plane, but its inhabitants can see us."  
  
"So how do we protect ourselves from them?" Harry asked.  
  
"Normally we don't need to, they usually stay far from where we live, but something, obviously, has changed. Dream Snakes feed on anything they sense has a strong life force, wizards and witches are more appealing, as they are the most powerful of all human beings. When you saw the cloud form around yourself, the one the snake began to drink, that was your life force," Gazten said, looking at Harry.  
  
No one spoke, so she continued.  
  
"The Dream Snake has two special powers it uses to aid in its attack. One being it's ability to induce a coma upon its victim, so they are unable to awaken, and therefore unable to escape. You said you didn't have your wand, which will happen anytime you travel to the ethereal plane. You are there and able to combat physically, but any weapons you have on you are left behind in the Material Plane. The second power is an energy drain of sorts. When you are bitten by the Dream Snake in the Ethereal Plane, you are drained of a great deal of your energy, making it easier for the Snake to overcome you and steal your life force."  
  
"So why do I still have the bite marks from being bitten here, and I don't have the one from the Ethereal Plane?" Harry asked.  
  
"The Dream Snake was unsuccessful in its attempt, and died. That is why you don't have the bite marks from the Ethereal Plane. The one it gave you in the Material Plane are still there because you received them to your physical self, not your ethereal self. The only questions I have are, how was the snake able to induce a coma on you, since it can only do this to sleeping victims, and why didn't it succeed? From the way you explained it, I don't see what caused it to die."  
  
"Well," Harry began, "I think what stopped it."  
  
Sirius, who was giving Gazten a suspicious look, cut him off.  
  
"How is it you know so much about all of this?" he asked abruptly.  
  
Gazten looked at him, reading the mistrust in his face, but didn't answer. She looked to Dumbledore.  
  
"Allison knows many things that will be most useful to aid us in our battle against Voldemort, Sirius," Dumbledore spoke. "What's important now, is finding out how this happened."  
  
"Well, Voldemort must've managed to make contact with the Ethereal Plane somehow," Remus spoke up.  
  
"I believe you are right," Dumbledore said gravely, "It wouldn't be the first time he's managed it."  
  
Every pair of eyes in the room except Gazten's widened upon hearing this.  
  
"What?" Sirius asked in shock. "When?"  
  
"Roughly about 16 years ago, perhaps a bit more," Dumbledore replied. "But that's not important now. What is important is finding out how many of the creatures he's managed to contact from there, and how many will be helping him."  
  
Dumbledore shook his head gravely.  
  
"First however, I will be contacting the ministry to see what information I can get on the dementors from earlier. If they are no longer in Azkaban, I need to know why we weren't informed."  
  
"We'll do a search of the castle," Marzia spoke up. "To make sure there aren't any still lingering."  
  
Sirius and Remus nodded resolutely.  
  
"Very well," then he turned his attention to Snape. "Severus, I'm going to ask that you stay here so Poppy and Allison can make sure nothing else was done to you. When you are feeling up to it, I want to discuss what happened on September 1st."  
  
Snape looked like he might explode over the suggestion that he should stay in the hospital wing, but Dumbledore did not appear in the mood to argue the matter, so Snape stayed silent.  
  
"Harry, how's your hand?" Dumbledore asked, kindly.  
  
"It's fine, it barely hurts anymore," Harry said, honestly.  
  
"Good, I want you and your friends to go back to your tower for the remainder of the day. I will tell Hagrid that you won't be coming today, and as long as we find there are no more uninvited guests in the school, you can visit him tomorrow."  
  
Harry nodded, not much in the mood to do any visiting today anyway. He stood up and walked over to Ron and Hermione, who were looking as bewildered as ever.  
  
"C'mon," he said to them. "Let's wake up Ginny, I'll tell you what you missed when we're back in the tower."  
  
Harry barely got any sleep that night. He tossed and turned thinking about everything that had happened that day. How did the dementors get in the school? Were they working for Voldemort now? Why wouldn't the ministry notify everyone? He hoped that Dumbledore would find out soon; today's encounter had been too close for comfort.  
  
As for the incident with the Dream Snake, the only question he had was the first one Professor Gazten had asked. How was the snake able to draw him into a coma? If she were telling the truth it wouldn't have been able to do so while he was awake. Her second question about how he survived he could only guess was because of Lunis. He had actually been about to say it when Sirius had cut him off earlier.  
  
When Sirius had asked Gazten why she knew so much, Harry's suspicions towards her were immediately re-ignited. Not that they had been completely gone to begin with, but after his brief talk with Hagrid during the Care of Magical Creatures lesson, he had felt better about her presence. Now he was back to doubting her, even though Dumbledore seemed to trust her.  
  
He couldn't explain why, but he felt there must be someone in the school, helping Voldemort. Too many things were happening this year for there not to be. And last year the same thing had happened with Tytros. They had all believed he was their friend, and that belief almost cost Harry his life. Dumbledore had said he hadn't told Harry about Lunis last year because he had been unsure of how it would interact with the knowledge. For all he knew it wouldn't have helped him at all.  
  
He rolled over onto his stomach, trying to get comfortable. His thoughts drifted now to Wormtail. When Harry had called him during the dementor encounter, and he realized the situation, he saved Harry's life, without question. Then accompanied both he and Ginny to the hospital wing, to make sure they were safe. What Harry wanted to know, was if this was something else he was 'forced' to do, or not.  
  
Harry flung the covers off of himself, sat up and grabbed his glasses. He swung his legs around the side of the bed and stood, then crept silently to the window. He didn't want to wake anyone else. He sat down on the ledge, drawing his knees up under his chin, and stared out over the grounds. Everything looked so peaceful, he thought, praying that it wasn't just an illusion. If he could ask for anything, it would be to get through this school year without any more of Voldemort's followers showing up. Not only was he in danger, but two people had already almost lost their lives and he'd only been in school a week.  
  
He shook his head trying not to think of these things, trying to convince himself that everything would be alright, and not believing it at all.  
  
When a hand came down on his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts, he almost screamed. He turned quickly to see who was there.  
  
"Neville!" he whispered loudly, relief sweeping over him. "You scared me."  
  
"Sorry," Neville replied sheepishly. "I've been listening to you moving around for a few hours now, and when I heard you get up I thought I'd join you."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Neville. Did I keep you awake?" Harry asked, guiltily.  
  
Neville shook his head.  
  
"No, you didn't. I couldn't sleep either." He shrugged casually.  
  
Harry put his legs down so Neville could sit next to him on the ledge.  
  
"What was keeping you up?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, you know, this and that. I'm thinking about this being our last year here, and all the work ahead of us. I'm very nervous about the N.E.W.T.'s you know."  
  
Harry chuckled.  
  
"You sound like Hermione," he said smiling.  
  
Neville gave him a skeptical look.  
  
"I can't imagine what she'd be worried about, she's got the highest marks of our entire year!"  
  
"So we keep reminding her," Harry said, thinking about all the abuse Hermione took from he and Ron over her study habits. They sat in silence for a few moments, until Harry spoke again.  
  
"You know I don't think you really have to worry just yet, there's a long way to go before the N.E.W.T.'s. You've got plenty of time to study."  
  
Neville just shrugged, in an off-handed kind of way.  
  
"I guess you're right," he replied. "Usually I'm not worried about finals yet, but I just feel different this year. I can't explain what it is. But something is bothering me. So I'm assuming it must be that."  
  
Harry looked at Neville carefully. They had never been close, but he still considered him a friend.  
  
"Neville, if you want to tell me something, you know I'll listen," Harry said.  
  
Neville looked up and met his gaze, and Harry was surprised to see Neville wasn't just worried; he was scared. This wasn't just over some end of the year tests.  
  
"No, I'm fine," he said quickly. "It's just nerves, over finals. I'm sure of it." He stood up then and stretched. "I'm going to try and get some sleep."  
  
"Were you the one that reported Malfoy?" Harry blurted out before he could stop himself. He didn't know what that would have to do with anything, but he was suddenly overcome with the feeling that Neville was the one who told.  
  
He expected Neville would deny it, or refuse to answer, but he did neither. The two of them looked at each other in silence for a moment, before Neville nodded slowly.  
  
"Why did you want to know?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know," Harry replied slowly. "I just knew a Gryffindor was the one who saw what he did, and that Dumbledore was asked not to say who. Which I can understand, but you don't have anything to worry about. Malfoy thinks I told."  
  
"Why does he think that?" Neville asked.  
  
"Probably because he blames me for everything," Harry replied bitterly. "If something goes wrong for him it's always my fault as far as he's concerned. Besides he knew I had been trying to get over to him during the lesson, everyone saw me trying. That's why I was surprised someone noticed what he did."  
  
"Well I was looking at you," Neville began, "but then something made me start watching him, I guess it was just because I saw you trying to get over there and I wanted to see why. But you won't tell, right?" he asked, sounding worried.  
  
Harry nodded, grinning.  
  
"Your secret's safe with me," he said confidently.  
  
"Thanks Harry," Neville said, gratefully, before turning towards his bed again. "Good night!"  
  
"Night Neville," Harry said. Something inside was telling him that wasn't what Neville had been worried about either, but he wasn't going to push him now. He decided it was probably a good idea to try and get some sleep this evening. When he was in the bed he placed his glasses again on the table next to him, before lying back into the soft pillow. It was only a few minutes before he was sleeping soundly.  
  
The next day was dreary and cloudy outside. Everyone was cooped up in the common room playing games or doing homework. Harry, Ron and Hermione went to see Dumbledore right after breakfast, but he seemed to be very busy, still trying to get in touch with the ministry mostly. He did assure them that no dementors or any other unwanted visitors were found in the school after it was searched, but Hagrid was not going to be able to see them that day, as he was busy with other matters.  
  
The three of them left the office and headed back towards their tower.  
  
"Do you think the ministry will give him the information he wants?" Hermione asked. "I mean, after the way they tried to keep things from him last year."  
  
"From me," Harry interrupted. "They tried to keep things from me. And I wonder if they're doing the same this year too. Ron and I saw Percy here yesterday, and seeing as how he's working closely with Thurston, I would think he could've told Dumbledore what was happening, if the ministry does indeed know."  
  
Ron just lowered his head and his cheeks flushed when Harry said this. Hermione gave him a quizzical look, then turned to Harry, who just shook his head at her.  
  
"I'll tell you later," he mouthed the words so Ron wouldn't hear them. He knew from what Ginny had told him that Percy's behavior was an embarrassment to Ron, and didn't want to say anything in front of Hermione. But since he also found out Percy blamed him personally for the ministry's problems, it couldn't hurt for Hermione to know about it.  
  
"Why don't you tell her now?" Ron said, sounding bitter. Harry looked at him uncertainly. "I know you're going to, so tell her. Ginny told me what you two talked about yesterday. And since Percy will be staying here."  
  
"Staying here?" Harry asked, astonished. "Why?"  
  
Ron shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, probably something to do with the ministry I'd suspect."  
  
"But isn't that why Marzia is here? For the ministry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"That's what she said," Harry replied. "I guess they don't trust her, or Thurston doesn't anyway. He probably has Percy here to check up on her."  
  
"Okay, one of you please tell me what's going on with Percy," Hermione said firmly.  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance and Ron sighed, heavily.  
  
"I'll tell her," he said quietly. He gave Harry a look that said he clearly wanted to do this alone, and Harry caught on.  
  
"I'll catch up with you guys in a bit, I forgot that I needed to talk to Sirius about something. See you later!"  
  
He waved at them, and watched them walk out of sight, before turning and heading off in the opposite direction.  
  
Harry walked aimlessly through the halls. He hadn't really had anything to ask Sirius about, most of his questions were for things he wouldn't know the answers to. But he knew Ron didn't want to talk about Percy in front of him, so he said the first thing that came to mind to excuse himself.  
  
Having nowhere to go and not wanting to hang out in the common room, he headed up to the owlery. It always had a calming effect on him, just sitting there, listening to the soft hooting of the owls.  
  
The damp air filled his nostrils as soon as he stepped through the door and he inhaled deeply. He walked slowly to the edge of the owlery; again looking out over the school grounds, and just watched the rainfall.  
  
He wished everything could be this stress relieving. He looked over towards Hedwig's usual perch to see she was still gone, and wondered what was taking so long. But before he had time to speculate, he heard movement behind him, and turned to see who was there.  
  
"Hey!" he said, a smile coming to his face. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Sending a letter, silly," Mel replied with a smirk.  
  
"Do you have your own owl?" he asked standing up. He walked over to where she was standing. "Or do you use one of the school's?"  
  
"I have my own, want to meet him?" she asked, then turned and began walking down the aisles.  
  
"Sure," Harry replied, moving to follow her.  
  
When they reached the second to last aisle, Mel turned down it and stopped at one of the last perches. A beautiful snowy owl was sitting on the perch in front of her.  
  
"This is Elliot," she said smiling.  
  
"Hello Elliot," Harry said cheerfully, holding his hand out towards the bird. He quickly pulled it back when Elliot lunged forward, snapping his beak.  
  
"Don't be insulted," Mel said quickly, "he never takes to strangers."  
  
"I guess not," Harry said, watching the owl warily.  
  
Mel gently stroked the bird's feathers around his neck, before tying the letter to his leg.  
  
"That's my baby," she said sweetly as he affectionately nipped her fingers. He jumped up in a flutter of feathers, cuffing Harry in the head as he did so, before flying off into the wet weather.  
  
Mel tried to stifle a laugh as Harry rubbed the back of his head, trying in vain to flatten his messy hair.  
  
"At least he didn't bite you," she said with an apologetic shrug.  
  
"True," Harry said smiling at her.  
  
The two of them started walking back the way they had come.  
  
"So," Mel began, "why were you here then? It didn't look like you were sending anything."  
  
"I just like it up here, and I didn't have anything else to do," Harry replied honestly.  
  
"Where are your friends?"  
  
"They.um, they needed to talk."  
  
Mel just nodded. They reached the main entrance to the owlery and came to a halt.  
  
"So, do you have an owl here?" Mel asked.  
  
"Yes, a snowy owl, like yours. Only a girl. Her name's Hedwig."  
  
"Cool name," Mel said, "can I meet her?"  
  
"Well, you could if she were here." Harry began then trailed off. "Hang on, I think this is her now."  
  
Both of them turned their heads to see a snowy owl heading towards the owlery. It flew in and spotting Harry, went directly to him, landing on his shoulder.  
  
"Hey girl," Harry said smiling at Hedwig. She ruffled her feathers and looked curiously at Mel, while Harry untied the letter from her leg. He turned to Mel.  
  
"This is Hedwig," he said proudly holding his arm out for her to move down. Mel looked at her carefully.  
  
"And is she as good with strangers as Elliot?"  
  
"She usually doesn't care one way or the other, just as long as I pay attention to her. C'mon, you can give her a treat, I'm sure she'll like that."  
  
"Okay."  
  
The two of them walked to Hedwig's perch and Harry held out his arm for her to step onto it. When she was settled down, Harry pulled a treat out of the box he had for her, and handed one to Mel.  
  
She reached out tentatively and slowly moved the treat near Hedwig's sharp beak. Hedwig c.ocked her head curiously to the side, before gently s.natching the treat from Mel's grasp.  
  
"She's so sweet!" Mel said smiling at Harry.  
  
"Told ya," Harry replied grinning. He reached up and rubbed Hedwig's neck, and she nipped his fingers affectionately, before the two of them turned and began heading back towards the door.  
  
"So, get anything good?" Mel asked, gesturing towards the letter.  
  
"A letter from my girlfriend," Harry replied, remembering what Marzia had told him. He loved Cho; the fact that he had to remind himself of this in Mel's presence was a bit unnerving, but he put it down to the fact that she was part Veela.  
  
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to pry," Mel said, blushing.  
  
"Don't worry, you weren't," Harry said with a smile. He thought she looked even more beautiful like this, with a brilliant blush on her cheeks. But he forced himself to look away and squeezed the letter in his hand tightly.  
  
"Well, I have to get going, but I'm really glad I ran into you here," Mel said sincerely.  
  
"I'm glad too," Harry replied.  
  
"See you in class tomorrow," Mel said, then with a wave, walked out the door.  
  
Harry stared after her, smiling, before turning his attention to the letter in his hand. He opened it carefully, and began to read.  
  
When he was back in the common room, Harry paced near the window, waiting for Ron and Hermione to return. Ginny was throwing him curious looks but he told her he would explain when the others arrived.  
  
Most of Cho's letter told him how concerned she was for him. Asking if he was alright and what steps Dumbledore was taking to ensure his protection. She couldn't believe that Gridman was able to pass for a student teacher, and promised she'd be looking into how that happened, even though it wasn't her department.  
  
Harry was very happy to see that she wanted to look out for him. He didn't exactly like to depend on others, but with Cho he didn't mind as much. What was bothering him, however, was the last part of what she had written. He looked up when he heard the portrait hole open, to see Ron and Hermione entering at last. They spotted him and Ginny, and headed over to them.  
  
Ron simply had a blank expression on his face, while Hermione looked worried.  
  
"I had no idea Percy felt that way," she whispered as they reached their usual corner.  
  
"It gets worse," Harry said grimly, holding up the letter. "I got Cho's reply today."  
  
"What did she say?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, she mostly wanted to make sure everything was all right here and that the proper precautions were being taken so no one else can get into the school. She said she'd be looking into it at the ministry."  
  
"That's good isn't it?" Ron asked, confused.  
  
"Sure, it's great," Harry replied, then lowered his voice. "But at the end of the letter she mentioned that Percy had been down to see her quite a few times since she started work there. He's been asking a lot of questions about me. Always wanting to know if I'd written to her, or how things are going."  
  
Harry looked around to see that all of his friends' jaws had dropped.  
  
"What did she tell him?" Ginny managed to ask.  
  
"She thinks I'm good friends with him, or at least okay friends, anyway. It sounds like she thinks he's being sweet and checking up on me."  
  
"And now he's here." Hermione said, deep in thought. The other three all exchanged glances, waiting for her to continue.  
  
"How much did you tell her last time Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I told you, everything, except for how to.um.defeat Lunis, I told her everything."  
  
"So if Percy saw that letter he'd know almost everything."  
  
"Hang on a second," Harry said, quickly. "I don't think Cho would go around showing that to anyone else first of all. And second of all, what would it matter if Percy did know? The ministry may not like me, but none of them has ever shown that they want to kill me."  
  
"What about Fudge?" Hermione asked.  
  
"He was working for Voldemort," Harry replied, "something which I don't think stands for Percy. He's far too into having a respectable reputation and being in good standing with the ministry for that."  
  
"I understand that," Hermione said gently, "all I'm saying is we."  
  
"Look," Ron cut in hastily, "Percy may be a giant git most of the time right now but he'd never do that, okay?" His eyes flashed angrily and his cheeks flushed.  
  
He looked away after his outburst and everyone was silent. Hermione finally stood up and stepped towards Ron cautiously.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to suggest Percy would do anything that.well anything like Fudge did."  
  
Ron didn't respond, and kept his gaze fixed out the window.  
  
"Forgive me?" Hermione asked, looking at him pleadingly. Harry and Ginny watched as Ron slowly turned to face his girlfriend.  
  
He reached out and put his arm around her, drawing her to him.  
  
"Of course I forgive you, I'm sorry I snapped like that, it's just..."  
  
"You don't have to explain," she cut him off. "I understand. And it was wrong of me to jump to conclusions like that."  
  
He smiled broadly at her and kissed her softly; Harry and Ginny just exchanged pleased glances.  
  
"I think we're probably looking into this too deeply," Harry spoke up after a moment. "Percy isn't who we should be worried about right now. We're just going to have to keep our ears open, listen for anything that sounds suspicious."  
  
"Like Gazten, you mean?" Hermione asked, giving Harry a knowing look.  
  
"Well, it would be nice to know how she knew all that stuff the other day. But I guess I'll have to wait until I can talk to Hagrid."  
  
"Why don't you just ask Dumbledore?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because I get the impression Hagrid knows her, besides Dumbledore is busy today too, trying to get in touch with the ministry. I'll just wait till I get a chance to speak with Hagrid again, maybe during class this week or something."  
  
He stood up then.  
  
"I'm going to reply to Cho, tell her not to let anyone there know what I've told her. I'm sure she wouldn't do that anyway, but if she thinks they're my friend." he trailed off. "I'll see you guys later."  
  
They said good-bye and he headed up to his dorm to write the letter.  
  
The weeks went by and soon it was October. Harry had tried several times to speak with Hagrid to no avail. He was gone every weekend for a reason that Harry didn't know, and Gazten was at every Care of Magical Creatures class. He hoped that this wouldn't last the entire year or he'd never get to speak with Hagrid. When he asked why she was there he was just told he'd find out soon enough.  
  
Snape was not as well off as he had claimed to be and ended up in the hospital for the whole month of September. Apparently the Dream Snake was not the only thing that had been used as an attempt on his life, but it was certainly the most dangerous, and Gazten had been able to slowly nurse him back to health. Voldemort definitely had it in for Snape, and wanted him to pay for what he considered to be a betrayal.  
  
Sirius and Marzia continued to patrol the school, and since the dementors' mysterious appearance, nothing else out of the ordinary found it's way into Hogwart's. Lessons continued as normal and so did quidditch practices, to Harry's relief. After a very stressful first week of classes this was a much-needed break.  
  
Percy was only seen occasionally, walking importantly through the halls as if he owned the place. He would glare at Harry any time he caught sight of him, but nothing worse. Harry came to the conclusion that while he'd rather be on speaking terms with Percy again, this wasn't something he needed to worry about.  
  
Dumbledore had been busy with the ministry, pulling teeth trying to get the information he needed. Mr. Thurston wasn't Minister of Magic yet, but while he was filling in he was making everything very hard for Dumbledore. Picking up right from where Fudge had left off.  
  
He had however assured Dumbledore that the Dementor's were indeed still guarding Azkaban, and they would have been notified if any of them had left. He suggested it was perhaps, another one of Harry's vivid tales. Dumbledore had a few choice words for Thurston before ending the discussion.  
  
One morning in the second week of October, when everyone had just begun to eat, Dumbledore stood up and called for everyone's attention.  
  
"Good morning to all of you," he began with a smile. "I don't want to take up much of your time this morning, so I shall be brief."  
  
A few murmured whispers passed through the great hall, but stopped immediately when the headmaster began speaking again.  
  
"As you know there were quite a few strange occurrences the first week of school, and since then things have quieted down a great deal. I want to assure you we are doing everything possible to keep all of you safe. If any of you comes across anyone or anything that looks even slightly suspicious, you are to report it to one of the instructors without delay."  
  
He paused a moment as the students immediately began talking to each other, some sounded afraid, others thought it was nothing to worry about.  
  
"On a lighter note, the first Hogsmeade visit will take place on Halloween as usual. And the quidditch season will commence on schedule."  
  
Harry looked across the table at Ron with wide eyes. He had no idea they were even thinking about canceling the season again, but the fact that they weren't was wonderful news to him. Ron just shrugged and smiled.  
  
"Gives us the chance to get the house cup again," he said happily.  
  
"Exactly," Harry replied with a grin.  
  
Dumbledore had finished his speech, told them to enjoy their food, and was now sitting back down at the head table. Harry noticed Snape was there too, which could only mean one thing.  
  
"I guess Gazten won't be teaching us potions anymore," he said sullenly.  
  
"I thought you didn't trust her," Hermione replied, taking a small bite of her toast.  
  
Harry considered this for a moment.  
  
"I don't, but I really don't want Snape back just yet. It's been nice not losing fifty points for Gryffindor every week because of his stubbornness."  
  
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, you knew he wasn't going to be gone the entire year."  
  
"Well we could hope, couldn't we?" Ron asked in a whiney voice. Hermione just rolled her eyes at him and before he could respond to that she turned to Harry.  
  
"Have you heard from Cho yet?"  
  
"No," Harry said in a serious tone. "Hedwig came back last time with no reply. I'm getting a little worried."  
  
"Are you?" Ron asked sharply and Harry looked up at him, knowing exactly what his tone meant.  
  
"Ron, stop, please? I'm don't even see her that much."  
  
"Why do you have to see her at all? You told us how she reacted to Malfoy trying to curse you that day! She doesn't care!"  
  
Harry didn't respond; he had to admit that Mel's reaction from that day bothered him still. And yet he had never brought up the subject with her yet. He just didn't want to confront her about it.  
  
"Ron come off it," Hermione chided him. "Harry can spend time with whoever he wants and it's really none of our business."  
  
Harry looked at her gratefully, but she didn't return the gaze. He knew she didn't care much for Mel either, but she wasn't as outright with it as Ron was.  
  
"Whatever," Ron snorted.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to defend Mel but Hermione spoke first.  
  
"C'mon, we have to go. Don't want to be late for potions on Snape's first day back."  
  
The three of them walked down to the dungeons and headed to the potions classroom. When they arrived most of the class was already there, and they took their usual seats near the back.  
  
No sooner had they sat down then Snape came walking, or more accurately, hobbling into the classroom. He was using a cane, which he held in his right hand to help him walk. He didn't look at any of the students, but headed to the front of the room. Setting his cane down, he pulled the blackboard closer to him, setting it where the whole class could see; then he turned, abruptly, to face the students.  
  
"I'm going to begin today's lesson with explicit directions on the potion you will be brewing the second half of class. I won't be stopping for questions, so pay attention and don't interrupt."  
  
"Just as pleasant as ever I see," Ron whispered to Harry as Snape turned back around. Harry nodded in agreement, but didn't speak. Snape had already begun talking loudly and writing notes on the board.  
  
He had barely begun to write when he was startled by a voice next to him.  
  
"I still can't believe he ever became a professor."  
  
Harry turned to his right, where no one was supposed to be sitting, only to see Wormtail standing there, looking at Snape with an amused expression on his face.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harry whispered fiercely.  
  
"Just thought I'd drop in," Wormtail said with a wicked grin on his face. Harry stared at him in horror.  
  
"How about you drop in some other time, when I'm not in potions."  
  
"Who are you talking to?" Ron asked from Harry's other side.  
  
Harry looked back around.  
  
"Wormtail," he whispered.  
  
Ron's expression darkened.  
  
"What's he doing here?"  
  
Harry shrugged and was about to say he didn't know, but was cut off by someone else.  
  
"Potter and Weasley! What is so important that you have to discuss it during my lesson?" came Snape's irritated voice from the front of the class.  
  
Harry saw Ron's ears redden and felt the blood rushing to his cheeks as he forced himself to meet Snape's gaze.  
  
"Nothing sir, I'm sorry," he said quietly.  
  
Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry  
  
"Ten Points from Gryffindor, and if I catch you again it will be twenty points, is that understood?"  
  
"Yes sir," Harry nodded.  
  
"Weasley?" Snape spat.  
  
"Yes sir, understood." Ron said quietly.  
  
Snape turned back around stiffly and resumed the lesson. Harry heard Malfoy and company snickering and saw they were all glancing in Harry's direction.  
  
"You don't see him punishing them now, do you?" Wormtail asked, still looking just as amused.  
  
"Shut up," Harry hissed, then turned back to his parchment. He did all he could to ignore Wormtail, and wished he would just go away.  
  
A few moments passed with no more interruptions, and Harry was just beginning to feel at ease again. He finished writing down the ingredients on the board and went to dip his quill in his inkbottle, when he noticed it was no longer on his desk.  
  
His heart gave a lurch as he looked up and saw Wormtail carrying it, slowly towards Snape.  
  
Harry inhaled sharply and both Ron and Hermione looked at him questioningly. He glanced at them and pointed at the bottle, which to them appeared to be floating through the air of its own accord. None of the other students had caught sight of it yet, as they were busy taking notes, and Snape's back was turned.  
  
Their eyes widened in horror as they saw what Harry was pointing to.  
  
"Wormtail?" Ron mouthed. Harry nodded.  
  
He couldn't take it; he had to say something.  
  
"Professor Snape," he began.  
  
"I told you no questions Mr. Potter."  
  
Harry watched nervously as Wormtail was stepping up directly behind Snape. A few people noticed the bottle, but no one said anything.  
  
"Yes, but."  
  
"Twenty points from Gryffindor!" Snape snarled, spinning around and glaring at Harry. Wormtail had been prepared for this, and moved in step with Snape keeping the ink out of his view. A few of the students snickered at the moving bottle, and Snape swept his eyes across the room, eyeing them all suspiciously.  
  
Wormtail raised the bottle over Snape's head, smiling madly and Harry stood up suddenly.  
  
"Professor Snape, listen to me."  
  
"POTTER! Take your seat this instant! I've had enough of your disruptions for one lesson. Fifty points."  
  
But he never finished his sentence. Black ink was running down his face, into his eyes and mouth. His hair was instantly matted with it, as Wormtail was sure to spread it around. When the bottle was entirely drained, he stood back to admire his work.  
  
Snape was doubled over, choking on some of the ink, while wiping furiously at his eyes. When he straightened and cast his dark glare across the students the room went utterly silent. He looked outright terrifying, his face streaked with black ink and huge dark circles smudged around his large eyes. The pale skin that was showing was looking whiter than ever. The only thing that didn't look much different was the greasy sheen of his hair.  
  
His eyes came to rest on Harry before he spoke again, in a deathly quiet voice, through clenched teeth.  
  
"Where is your inkbottle, Mr. Potter?"  
  
Harry threw a hateful glance towards Wormtail before looking at Snape. He was trying to ignore the low laughter coming from Malfoy's corner of the classroom.  
  
"I asked you a question Potter!" Snape spat at him. The ink was still running down his forehead and he had to keep swiping at it to prevent any more of it getting in his eyes.  
  
Before anyone else could speak, Wormtail stepped in front of Snape with the empty bottle in his hand, waving it tauntingly. Laughing out loud at the expression on the potion master's face, he turned and headed to the back of the class. When he stopped next to Harry's desk, he placed the bottle on the surface of it.  
  
Everyone had followed the bottle's path with interest and when it landed in front of Harry, Snape's glare looked murderous.  
  
"You think you're funny, Mr. Potter?"  
  
"Professor Snape," Harry began desperately, "I swear I didn't do it."  
  
"So you think the bottle moved itself? Surely you don't think I'd believe such a ludicrous excuse?"  
  
"No, it's not that at all," Harry said.  
  
"Then by all means, enlighten me."  
  
Snape crossed his arms across his chest and didn't move. Harry could feel all the eyes in the room trained on him, and his face felt very hot. But he knew he couldn't say anything about Wormtail in front of them.  
  
"I can't explain what happened Professor Snape," Harry said calmly. "But I didn't do it, I swear."  
  
Snape looked at Harry carefully, and neither of them spoke. Harry wanted to turn to Wormtail and strangle him, or do anything that would hurt him. What did he do that for? He knew Harry would get in trouble because no one could see him. Was he trying to get him into detention? And if he was then why?  
  
He was shaken from his thoughts when Snape reached out a hand and slowly picked up his cane from the desk.  
  
Harry stayed standing in place, and Snape moved towards the door, just before going through it, he turned to the rest of the class.  
  
"I will return shortly, nobody move until then or it will be detention."  
  
He fixed them all with a threatening look, before finally going through the door. They all listened to the sound of his uneven footsteps retreating down the hall, and no one spoke until he was completely out of earshot.  
  
"Good one Potter," Malfoy remarked snidely, "why did you bother using magic if you were just going to admit you're the one who did it. You might as well have walked up there and poured the ink on him."  
  
"Shut up Malfoy," Harry hissed, then turned his anger on Wormtail.  
  
"What were you thinking?" he whispered, feeling his anger rise while Wormtail tried to control his spouts of laughter.  
  
"Oh come on, you can't tell me that wasn't funny!" Wormtail said cheerfully.  
  
"Maybe it would have been if you hadn't made it look like I did it!" Harry shot back.  
  
"Sorry," Wormtail shrugged. "Really I didn't think about it. I saw your bottle sitting there, picked it up and you know the rest." He gave Harry another wicked smile. "But, my work is done for now, so I'd best be going." Slowly, he began to fade away.  
  
"Where do you think you're." Harry began.  
  
"Um.Harry?" Hermione spoke up from her seat. Harry turned towards her abruptly. "You might want to sit down, or have your conversation facing us," she continued.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"You're attracting a bit of attention.that you may not want," Ron said, pointing. Harry looked around to see many of the students were looking at him, and he realized he had gotten a bit loud. He slumped into his chair, ignoring the whispering spreading through the room, which was undoubtedly about him, and put his head in his hands.  
  
How was he going to explain this to Snape if he asked in front of the class again? He didn't want to take the blame under any circumstances, but he could see little choice.  
  
Harry decided that the only way would be to talk with Snape after class, explain everything to him. Dumbledore would surely back him up. His stomach was knotting with worry, and he tried to calm down. All he could think about was how to pay Wormtail back for this, but could come up with no way to do anything to a ghost.  
  
When he felt a hand gently touch his shoulder, he was again stirred out of his thoughts.  
  
Harry looked up to see Hermione had come around to his side of the desk and was crouched next to him. He looked at her questioningly.  
  
"You don't have anything to worry about, you know," she began, looking at him reassuringly, "No matter what he says during class about house points or detention, Dumbledore knows about Wormtail, and he'll believe you."  
  
Harry smiled at her.  
  
"Yeah really, Harry," Ron spoke up, sitting forward on his chair. You won't even get in trouble for not answering Snape if he asks you about it again. Dumbledore would understand why you did it."  
  
"I know he would," Harry began. "It's just that I had hoped after what happened.with the Dream Snake and all, that Snape and I might've been able to start off better when he came back to teaching. But Wormtail's managed to ruin that as well." he said bitterly.  
  
"You had hoped to be best friends with Snape then?" Ron asked, skeptically.  
  
"No," Harry said laughing, then shrugged. "But maybe manage to not lose so many points for Gryffindor just by coming to class. You know.start off small."  
  
"Did Wormtail say why he did that?" Hermione asked, standing up and moving back around to her side of the desk. Harry shook his head.  
  
"No, just that he thought it would be funny, " he said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"He was right," Ron said with a grin, "did you see how Snape's eyes looked like they were bulging out of his head?" He started laughing at the image of it and Harry just looked at him.  
  
"Sorry, I was paying a bit more attention to him blaming me for it happening then how he looked."  
  
"Oh come on Harry, admit you thought it was funny!" Ron said, elbowing him lightly in the ribs.  
  
"Yeah admit it Potter," Draco called from the other side of the room.  
  
"I don't believe I was talking to you," Ron spat at him.  
  
"I don't believe I care," Malfoy retorted, sitting back, lazily in his chair. He looked at Harry again.  
  
"So why'd you do it, was the lesson too boring for you? Or did you just want to give Snape a special welcome back present?"  
  
"Why don't you mind your own business," Hermione called to him.  
  
Draco smiled at her sweetly, which none of them expected.  
  
"I bet I know what happened." he continued after a moment.  
  
"Shut up Malfoy," Harry said coldly. "I didn't do it and no matter what you."  
  
"I wasn't going to say that," Malfoy cut him off, holding up a finger. Harry just looked at him, not sure how to react to Malfoy's behavior.  
  
"I'm willing to bet.your new pet did it."  
  
"You're mental," Ron said disgustedly.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, completely bewildered.  
  
"You don't know which one I'm talking about?" Malfoy asked, feigning shock. "Surely you must remember.what was his name again? Oh yes.Wormtail."  
  
Harry felt his jaw drop as he gaped at Malfoy. He was speechless with shock, and knew from the silence Ron and Hermione were as well.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes," Malfoy sneered. He looked quite pleased with himself.  
  
The sound of uneven footsteps coming down the hall put an end to any talking however, and a few seconds later, Snape re-entered the room. The ink was completely gone, but he hardly looked better. In fact, Harry thought he looked worse than before.  
  
He was sweating quite badly, and looked out of breath. His skin was very pale and clammy, and his eyes were bloodshot.  
  
Carefully he stepped to the front of the classroom and surveyed the students before speaking.  
  
"You are all dismissed early today. I want Chapters 7 and 8 read and summarized for next lesson. We will continue with this potion then."  
  
He turned slowly as the class broke out in whispers. Everyone was startled by this sudden turn of events, and wanted to know what was going on. It was unlike Snape to let even Slytherins out early, but the entire class, that was unprecedented. No one argued however, they hastily gathered their belongings and headed for the door.  
  
"I'm going to ask if he's okay," Harry said to Ron and Hermione as they stood up.  
  
"I knew you were gonna say that," Ron said rolling his eyes. Hermione nudged him with her elbow.  
  
"We'll wait for you in the hall," she said.  
  
Harry waited until the last student had filed out before he made his way up to the front of the class, where Snape had sat down, looking very tired.  
  
"Professor Snape?" he began, tentatively.  
  
Snape looked up with a start and narrowed his eyes.  
  
"What is it Mr. Potter?" he asked in a low voice.  
  
Harry gulped, hoping he wasn't pushing his luck.  
  
"I just wanted to see if you were alright sir, you look like you're ill." he trailed off, seeing Snape's glare.  
  
"I'm simply touched by your concern," Snape hissed.  
  
Harry nodded, not wanting to press him any further, and turned to leave.  
  
"Potter," Snape said before Harry could take a step.  
  
"Yes sir?" he asked, turning to face him again. He saw the look on the potion master's face has softened slightly.  
  
"I believe what you told me, that it wasn't you who pulled the stunt with the ink."  
  
Snape almost looked as if he were straining to get those words out but Harry felt very relieved upon hearing them.  
  
"Do you know who it was?" he continued.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Yes." he said then hesitated before continuing. "Wormtail," he mumbled.  
  
Snape's eyes widened and he looked at Harry skeptically.  
  
"The same Wormtail who died a few months ago?" he asked in a voice that clearly stated how insane he believed that explanation to be.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"How?"  
  
Harry set his books on the desk and pulled a chair over. He smiled briefly before sitting down.  
  
"Since we both have a bit of free time, let me tell you a little story."  
  
When Harry finally sat back and looked at Snape, he saw a mixture of amusement and disappointment on the potion master's face.  
  
"So," Snape began, "You have, to some extent, complete control over Wormtail?"  
  
Harry considered for a moment before answering.  
  
"Um, yes.I guess you could say that."  
  
"Why didn't you stop him then?" Snape asked quickly, his eyes flashing.  
  
"I.well.it doesn't work that way." Harry sputtered; realizing he should have known Snape would've turned this on him.  
  
"Did you try to stop him?" Snape pushed.  
  
"No," Harry mumbled, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "But I didn't see him until it was too late, and if I started talking in class you would've told me to be quiet." he trailed off, thinking that might not have been the best thing to say.  
  
When at last he looked up again, he was shocked to see Snape was smirking at him.  
  
"You're right Mr. Potter," he began slowly, "that's exactly what I would have told you."  
  
Harry's jaw dropped and he quickly snapped it shut when he realized what he was doing. He looked at Snape carefully, sizing him up.  
  
"Um.can I ask you a question?" he began tentatively. Snape nodded.  
  
"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but, are you feeling alright?"  
  
Snape's expression hardened, and Harry wished he could take the words back.  
  
"Thank you for your explanation Mr. Potter," Snape said curtly. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore can confirm what you've said is true. If he does I'll make sure the points are given back to your house. Was there anything else?"  
  
Harry shook his head quickly.  
  
"No sir."  
  
"Good, you'd best be on your way then."  
  
Harry nodded, stood up and grabbed his things. He mumbled good-bye and quickly headed for the door.  
  
When he stepped through into the hallway, he noticed Ron and Hermione were nowhere in sight. Upon checking his watch he realized he'd been there much longer than he intended and there was only twenty minutes until the next class began. He set off down the corridor, deciding to check the great hall for his friends first.  
  
He stopped in his tracks, however, when he heard an icy voice behind him.  
  
"So, what did you tell him?" 


	7. Chapter 7

Harry turned around slowly upon hearing the familiar voice.  
  
"Percy," he said trying to sound happy to see him, "what are you doing down here?"  
  
Percy was standing in the shadows a few feet from the entrance to the potions classroom. Harry wouldn't even have known it was him if he hadn't heard him, it was almost as if he'd been hiding.  
  
"I can go where I please," Percy said snidely, "I'm here on ministry business and therefore must have access to all areas of the school."  
  
"What business?" Harry asked, unable to resist.  
  
Percy glared at him and smirked.  
  
"I am not at liberty to say anything, especially to you."  
  
Harry knew Percy was enjoying keeping his secrets; he always enjoyed flaunting it when he had information he knew you wanted. Harry remembered in his fourth year, when Percy had hinted the whole summer about knowing something was planned, something which later turned out to be the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  
  
"So you didn't answer my question," Percy continued, "why were you talking to Snape?"  
  
"I just had a few questions on an assignment," Harry lied, not sure why Percy even cared.  
  
"He's not feeling too well, is he?" Percy asked, sounding more curious then concerned.  
  
"He seems fine," Harry lied again. He had also been wondering why Snape looked so burnt out; and would have sworn he had a fever at the very least. If he was really still too sick, he definitely shouldn't be teaching again yet. But he supposed Snape, much like himself, didn't fancy long stays in the hospital wing either.  
  
"So you didn't tell him anything then?" Percy asked.  
  
"Tell him anything? About what?" Harry asked, truly confused.  
  
Percy's brow furrowed in anger, and his eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
"Don't pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about!" he screamed, causing Harry to take a step back. A few moments ago he had seemed irritated, and now he was furious.  
  
"Look.Percy.I really don't know what you're talking about." he stammered. "I don't have much time right now either, my next class."  
  
"You're not going anywhere until you answer me," Percy cut him off in a menacing tone, and began moving towards him.  
  
Harry fought the urge to turn and run. Even if Percy were angry with him, surely he wouldn't do anything to him, right? Looking around quickly, he was trying to come to a decision when Snape poked his head out of the classroom.  
  
"What is going on out here? Potter! What's all the screaming about?"  
  
Harry opened his mouth to answer Snape when Percy spoke first.  
  
"Harry and I were having a little talk, I was simply asking him a question," he said in a strained voice. Snape raised an eyebrow at Percy, apparently just as shocked as Harry by his behavior.  
  
"Well you don't have to have your discussion so loudly, do you?" Snape asked icily.  
  
"Fine, I'll just take Mr. Potter elsewhere and we can continue our talk where you won't be disturbed."  
  
"Percy I have class soon, really I." Harry started, not wanting to be anywhere alone with him right then.  
  
Percy whirled on him.  
  
"You will answer any questions I have for you!" he said loudly.  
  
Harry looked to Snape for help, praying that he would catch on.  
  
"Mr. Weasley," Snape said in an authoritative tone, "whatever questions you have will have to wait, unless you can prove they are of more importance than Mr. Potter's schooling, I will not allow him to be late for his next class."  
  
Percy looked upon Snape with such fury that Harry wouldn't have been surprised if he tried to hit him. The potions master, admirably, did not even flinch. Despite the fact that he looked like he may collapse if the breeze was too strong. Then, as if suddenly coming out of a trance, Percy seemed to regain his composure.  
  
"Very well Mr. Potter," he said sounding pompous once again, "I will speak with you another time."  
  
He nodded quickly, before setting off down the hall at a quick pace. Harry looked at Snape who was leaning up against the doorframe now.  
  
"Thank you," he said sincerely.  
  
Snape just nodded at him.  
  
"Get to class Mr. Potter."  
  
Harry hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask Snape if he was really okay, then decided it would be best to just try and find out from Sirius or Remus. He slung his bag over his shoulder, and began the walk to his next class.  
  
"Okay Harry," Ron said as they sat in their usual corner in the common room after dinner that evening. "You promised you'd tell us what happened in your talk with Snape earlier today when dinner was over, so please, do tell."  
  
"It's not so much what I talked to Snape about, it's what happened after I left the classroom that I wanted to talk to you about," Harry replied. He looked at their questioning faces before starting. He told them how he had to explain the situation with Wormtail to Snape, as he had not been made aware of it, and how Snape believed him and even said the points would be given back to Gryffindor since what happened wasn't Harry's fault.  
  
"I can't believe he actually said that," Ginny interrupted, sounding amused.  
  
"Something's definitely up with him," Harry said, then looked at Ron and Hermione, "didn't you guys think he seemed a bit.ill, when he returned after the ink episode?"  
  
"I think he left the hospital wing a bit early," Hermione said nodding. Ron just shrugged before replying.  
  
"He looked tired, yeah."  
  
"Well, I think something's still wrong with him," Harry said. He went on to explain the rest of his talk with Snape and what had happened when he asked if he was feeling alright. He paused before telling them about Percy, but decided it would be better for them to hear what happened.  
  
Ron, as Harry had expected, seemed most upset by this. Ginny and Hermione seemed shocked as well.  
  
"I'm just glad Snape caught on that I didn't want to go with Percy when he came out of the classroom," Harry said after an awkward silence.  
  
"Do you think he was asking you about Lunis?" Hermione asked, throwing a cautious look at Ron. She didn't want him to be angry with her for suggesting Percy was doing anything other than ministry business. But Ron didn't even look up.  
  
"I really don't know," Harry admitted. "I don't know why he would care, or how he would even know about it. I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't go telling him about it and I don't think anyone at the ministry even knows."  
  
"Except Cho," Ron said quietly.  
  
"I thought of that," Harry said. "I'm not sure if she would've mentioned anything to anyone. I asked her not to in my last letter." he trailed off, again worrying about not having received a response from her yet. He knew she must've received it as Hedwig had returned, but it was very unusual for her to not send anything back.  
  
"Maybe," he began, "I'll ask Marzia about it. She may know if Thurston, or anyone else at the ministry, knows about Lunis."  
  
Ron looked up sharply when Harry said this, then quickly averted his eyes. Ginny also suddenly found the arm of her chair to be of great interest at that moment. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, before speaking.  
  
"Okay you two," Hermione started, looking back and forth between the two of them. "What is it you aren't telling us?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron asked evenly.  
  
"Ron stop," Harry said, "you acted very peculiar last time I talked about Marzia too. You obviously know something that we don't."  
  
Ron met Harry's gaze but made no indication that he was going to respond. The four of them sat in tense silence, everyone waiting for someone else to speak.  
  
Just as Harry was getting ready to try and prod Ron further, he gave an involuntarily shiver when Wormtail materialized in front of him.  
  
"What are you doing?" Wormtail asked, not really sounding interested. Harry ignored him, wishing he would go away, and kept eye contact with Ron, even though he was now looking through Wormtail to do it.  
  
"Fine don't answer me," Wormtail said indignantly, he turned to see what Harry was staring at so intently.  
  
"Having an argument are we?" he asked Harry in a taunting voice while looking at the stubborn expression on Ron's face.  
  
Harry wanted to scream at him to go away, to mind his own business, but since he was the only one who knew Wormtail was there he didn't say anything that would change the subject for the others.  
  
"Want me to get him to talk?" Wormtail asked, with the same wicked grin he had worn in Snape's class. Harry finally broke eye contact with Ron, worried about what Wormtail might have in mind. Before he could say anything Wormtail reached out an arm and ran a finger down Ron's chest.  
  
Ron gasped as the unexpected coldness hit him and Harry jumped up from his chair.  
  
"Why did you do that?" he asked callously, looking at Wormtail. "You're getting a little too bold I think."  
  
"Why did I do what?" Ron asked, breathing hard, "and what do you mean bold?"  
  
"Is Wormtail here again?" Hermione asked, her face etched with concern.  
  
"Yes," Harry hissed, not taking his eyes off of the ghost.  
  
"You could've warned me!" Ron said loudly, sounding annoyed.  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry said, looking away from Wormtail to meet Ron's eyes. "I didn't know he was going to do anything like that until it was too late."  
  
"How long was he here then?" Ron asked.  
  
"Only a few minutes."  
  
"Can you please stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Wormtail spoke up loudly in an irritated tone. Harry gave him a disgusted look.  
  
"As far as I'm concerned that would be better," he replied curtly.  
  
"I didn't hear you saying that when that dementor was after you," Wormtail said in a low voice. "And what about all the times I've tried to warn you."  
  
"Now that you mention it," Harry began; ignoring the stares his friends were giving him, "I have something I want to ask you."  
  
"You tried to warn me before I even knew you were around," Harry began, "for both the erumpent charging and that death eater, Gridman, during the opening feast. Dumbledore said you were somehow forced to do that, and you confirmed it. But then why didn't you warn me about the Dementors?"  
  
Wormtail looked at him and shrugged.  
  
"I wasn't there," he said casually.  
  
"I thought you were always." Harry began.  
  
"I don't spend every minute of the day in the same room with you, you know," Wormtail cut him off. "If I'm not around to see what's happening, I have no way to warn you."  
  
"So where were you then?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well here of course, in the school. Just not in the same room or hallway as you. It's not like we're connected at the hip, you know."  
  
Harry shook his head, wondering why he hadn't thought of that before.  
  
"Fine, so then what's with your sudden change in attitude?" he asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Wormtail asked, trying to sound innocent.  
  
"You almost caused Gryffindor to lose fifty points today!" Harry exclaimed, then quickly lowered his voice as a few heads turned towards him. "Why did you pour ink on Snape? You knew he'd be furious and then you made it look as if I did it!"  
  
Wormtail smiled, almost nostalgically, thinking about what he had done and Harry could tell he wasn't the least bit sorry for it.  
  
"Just consider it, paying him back. I never did that to him when I went to school here. Always just went along with whatever Moony, Padfoot and Prongs were doing."  
  
Harry glared at him viciously. He couldn't stand to hear Wormtail talk about Remus, Sirius and his father as if they were old friends.  
  
"You can leave now," he said evenly.  
  
Wormtail stopped smiling and looked at Harry, confused.  
  
"Look I'm sorry if you got in trouble, you didn't actually end up losing points, did you?"  
  
"I don't care about the points, just go."  
  
"Well than what are you.?"  
  
"Look, I said I don't care, will you leave? Please?" Harry asked in a strained voice. The longer Wormtail stood there the angrier Harry became. He couldn't think about it anymore.  
  
Wormtail shrugged, nonchalantly.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Harry turned his back, not bothering to watch him disappear, and saw the bewildered faces of his friends.  
  
"What did he say?" Ron asked, carefully.  
  
Harry just shook his head.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it right now, it wasn't anything important anyway. I think I'm heading to bed."  
  
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, concerned. "He obviously said something to upset you."  
  
Harry smiled at her gratefully.  
  
"I'll be fine, thanks Hermione." He turned to the others then. "Good night."  
  
Harry turned and headed for the stairs, suddenly feeling very drained. He had, for the moment, forgotten his question to Ron from earlier.  
  
Over the next few weeks, Harry heard nothing from Wormtail, which didn't bother him in the least. He told Ron, Hermione and Ginny what Wormtail had said that night and what had made him so upset. All he could hope was that Wormtail had found some way to get away from him, so they were no longer attached.  
  
Classes went on as always, except potions. Gazten was once again filling in for Snape, which confirmed Harry's suspicions that Snape was not feeling as well as he tried to let on. But when he asked Sirius and Remus what was wrong with him, neither of them had an answer. All they could tell him for sure was that Gazten was taking care of him, but no one seemed to know what exactly was making him sick.  
  
Hagrid was still gone each weekend, and Harry could get no information from anyone on his whereabouts. Dumbledore would just tell him he would get a chance to speak with Hagrid soon enough, but what he was doing was very important. He wanted very much to ask Hagrid about Gazten, but was unable to get to him alone.  
  
To get his mind off of these things, Harry would immerse himself in quidditch practices. Showing the team new maneuvers four nights a week and Saturdays. Their first match was against Ravenclaw at the end of November. He wondered who would be taking Cho's place, and decided to try and find out who he'd be up against over the next few days.  
  
Another thing he'd been worried about was having received no response from Cho at all since the last letter he'd sent her. It was the end of October and still nothing had arrived. He was getting ready to ask Marzia if there were a way she could check on Cho, make sure she was alright. But at the same time he had no idea how busy she really was with her new responsibilities. He didn't want to make her feel like he was pushing or anything. He decided to wait a few more days, if he'd heard nothing by then, he'd have to ask someone to check on her.  
  
Halloween arrived at last and everyone was excited about the trip to Hogsmeade that was planned for the day. Su Chang and all the other Gryffindor third years were positively brimming with enthusiasm over their first trip to the wizarding town. Harry and Ron exchanged knowing glances, remembering how they had felt the first time they went to Hogsmeade, as they passed the eager group in the common room on their way to breakfast.  
  
Harry and Ron entered the great hall and headed straight for the Gryffindor table where Hermione and Ginny were waiting for them. Harry had just taken his seat when he felt someone slide into the empty space next to him, and glanced over.  
  
"Mel," he said, smiling. "What are you doing here?"  
  
She returned the smile and flipped her hair over her shoulder.  
  
"I know you don't want me over here too long," she began, looking at the glares she was receiving from many of the other Gryffindors before turning back to Harry, "but I was wondering, if it's alright with you, would you want to hang out in Hogsmeade today? It's okay if you don't."  
  
"Of course it's alright with me," Harry said before she could continue. He chose to disregard the glare he felt Ron giving him from across the table.  
  
"Great," Mel said, sounding somewhat relieved. I won't stay here too long then, see you in Hogsmeade!" She got up from her seat and headed back to the Slytherin table. Harry turned back to his plate and deliberately ignored the looks his friends were throwing him. Finally Ron couldn't keep quiet any longer.  
  
"Why did you say yes to her?" he asked in a strained voice. Harry gave Ron a casual glance, before continuing with his breakfast. After a moment, he answered.  
  
"Because she's a friend Ron, why would I say no?"  
  
Ron looked at him with wide eyes.  
  
"How about because she's a Slytherin?" he asked incredulously. "What if she's a spy?"  
  
At this Harry had to meet Ron's gaze.  
  
"Look at it this way, if she is a spy, which she isn't, what better way to find out then by spending time with her? Besides, what would she be spying on us for? I doubt she would do it for Draco, even if they are in the same house."  
  
"How do you know she wouldn't?" Ginny asked; sounding faintly annoyed at the discussion. She cared about as much for Mel as Ron did.  
  
Harry turned to face her.  
  
"Because she doesn't like the way Draco seems to do things that puts their house in danger of losing points. She puts house points above most things, if I know anything about her, it's that."  
  
After a moment of silence, Hermione finally spoke up.  
  
"I guess you have to ask yourself, is that really the type of person you want as a friend?"  
  
Harry stared at her for a long while before finally turning his attention back to his food. He had thought about this many times himself since the day he met Mel, but had no desire to bring it up whenever they talked. He really did enjoy her company and was determined not to let his friends ruin it for him. If they didn't like her, so be it.  
  
The four of them ate the rest of their food with little conversation, and when the time came for all the students to meet in front of the school, they left the great hall together, in silence.  
  
When they reached Hogsmeade Ron suggested they head to Zonko's joke shop first. Fred and George had asked him to check out all the new products, and to send an owl letting them know what they were up against this year. Harry had no doubt that whatever Zonko's had; Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes would easily surpass it. Fred and George were geniuses when it came to practical joking. Hermione and Ginny took one side of the store, while the boys took the other.  
  
As they walked up and down the aisles, Ron turned to Harry.  
  
"So have you heard from Cho yet?"  
  
Harry looked knowingly at his friend. Ron only seemed to bring Cho up when Harry mentioned or talked to Mel.  
  
"Not yet," he answered, trying to hide his concern.  
  
Ron looked at him sharply and before he could speak Harry continued.  
  
"I'm going to see what I can do to check on her if I haven't heard from her by the time this weekend is over." He deliberately didn't mention Marzia, deciding this was not the time or place for that discussion.  
  
"My dad would be glad to help you there," Ron said, "he really likes Cho, I'm sure he'd be glad to stop down to her department to make sure everything's okay."  
  
Harry smiled at him, feeling silly that he hadn't thought to ask Mr. Weasley.  
  
"Thanks Ron."  
  
The two of them walked around the rest of the store, Ron kept pointing out certain products and saying why it wasn't as good as one of Fred and George's. When he was satisfied that Zonko's didn't have anything much worth writing to his brother's about, the four friends left the store. As soon as Harry stepped through the door, he saw Mel walking by, and called out to her.  
  
"There you are," she said, smiling as she walked over to them. "I was just about to head over to the Three Broomsticks, thought you might've gone there. I never would've thought to find you in Zonko's though."  
  
"Why not?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well," she began looking at Hermione and then turning to Ron, "Don't your brother's own a joke shop in Diagon Alley? I would think you could get anything you wanted from them, probably for free too."  
  
"How did you know that?" Ron asked suspiciously. Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"Um.well, the name of the place is Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. I only know one family with the name Weasley, so I guess I just assumed." she trailed off, shrugging.  
  
"You know," Harry spoke up before the silence became awkward, "the Three Broomsticks sounds like a good idea, I could go for a butterbeer, want one?"  
  
Mel nodded.  
  
"I'd love one." They both turned to look at the others.  
  
"You guys coming?" Harry asked, hopefully. He really wanted his friends to like Mel.  
  
Ron looked as if he was going to say something but Hermione spoke first.  
  
"Let's go," she said pleasantly.  
  
Harry smiled at her gratefully before turning with Mel and beginning the short walk up the street.  
  
When they found an empty table near the back, Harry volunteered to go get the drinks. While he was a bit nervous about doing this, he hoped his friends would talk to Mel. Maybe they would realize she could be fun to hang out with.  
  
When he finally had the tray with five butterbeers balanced precariously on it, he made his way back to their table. Ron was still looking glum about Mel's presence, as was Ginny. But Hermione was having what appeared to be a very pleasant conversation with her.  
  
"Did I miss anything?" Harry asked as he set the tray down and took his seat. Mel and Hermione both looked up at him.  
  
"Mel was just asking me about quidditch," Hermione said smiling. "And I was telling her how she picked the worst person in the world to ask."  
  
Harry chuckled.  
  
"You can say that again, Hermione usually leaves the room when Ron, Ginny and I talk about plays or maneuvers we want to try. What is it you wanted to know?"  
  
Mel smiled.  
  
"Oh nothing in particular," she said with a shrug. "So are you all set for the games this year? Got anything new in store for us?" she asked with a mischievous grin.  
  
Before Harry could say anything Ron cut him off.  
  
"Why do you want to know?" he asked guardedly.  
  
Both Harry and Mel turned towards Ron.  
  
"Like I said, no reason really. I just always notice your team coming up with more new techniques than any of the other houses. I was wondering if this year would be the same."  
  
Ron still looked at her skeptically, but didn't say anything else. Harry turned back to Mel.  
  
"So, were you ever interested in trying out for your house team?" he asked.  
  
"Not especially, I'm more of a spectator myself. I like to fly, definitely. I'd love to try out your Firebolt sometime, if you wouldn't mind." she trailed off.  
  
"Sure you can," Harry replied cheerfully, not catching the hurt look Ginny threw at him. Even though it was still Harry's broom, she considered it somewhat hers now. "Maybe sometime this weekend."  
  
"Why on earth would you want to ride his broom?" came a voice to their left. Everyone turned to see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle standing near the end of the table.  
  
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked in an exasperated voice. It seemed there would never be a trip to Hogsmeade lacking a run in with these three.  
  
"Just an answer to my question," he replied evenly, looking at Mel. Crabbe and Goyle were standing on either side of him, like obedient lap dogs.  
  
"Why would I want to ride Harry's broom?" Mel asked sounding as if the answer should be obvious. "You can't tell me you don't want to ride a Firebolt, can you?"  
  
"I have ridden one," Malfoy said snootily.  
  
"Oh, you have one?" Mel asked, intrigued.  
  
"Not yet," Malfoy replied, testily. "Potter here always seems to secure the newest brooms first though, which I think should be considered cheating. He isn't winning anything by skill, just a more expensive broom."  
  
Harry opened his mouth to reply but Ron spoke first.  
  
"You couldn't beat Harry to the snitch even if he were on a Shooting Star!" he spat at Malfoy.  
  
"Isn't that the broom you always used?" Malfoy asked snidely, Crabbe and Goyle chuckling with him, as if on cue. "How ever did your family afford the one you're using now? I see they couldn't even get you the newest model."  
  
Ron's face was beat red and Hermione and Ginny were both ready to grab hold if he were to go for Malfoy.  
  
"Don't ever speak about my family again," he said in a low voice.  
  
"Or you'll what?" Malfoy goaded, enjoying the reaction he was getting out of Ron.  
  
"Is there something in particular you wanted?" Hermione asked, glaring daggers at Malfoy. "Because I don't recall any of us inviting you over here."  
  
"When will you learn I don't speak to filth like you mudblood?" Draco hissed at her.  
  
Ron was up from his seat at this, and Hermione was right there with him, holding him back. The term mudblood coming from Malfoy barely even fazed her anymore, but Ron would never cease to become infuriated by it. Ginny wasn't helping; she was staring at Malfoy in shock, seemingly wanting to see her brother do exactly what he obviously intended to. Harry had to get up and take a hold of Ron before he dragged Hermione, who wasn't giving up, along with him.  
  
It was Mel who spoke first as all of this happened.  
  
"I can't believe you just said that to her," she said, not bothering to hide the disgust in her voice.  
  
Malfoy's smile faltered as his gaze shifted away from Ron. The others turned to look at her as well.  
  
"Draco," she began stiffly, "I think you and your friends should leave. It's obvious nobody wants you here, and after hearing your last remark, I don't want you here either."  
  
Malfoy's jaw dropped, not because he was asked to leave, but because it was a fellow Slytherin who had asked it. He quickly regained his composure, however, and now glared at Mel too.  
  
"I don't know why you think it's such a crime that I hang out with Harry," she continued. "But I don't care what your opinion is, because it means nothing to me."  
  
Mel turned away from Draco then, ignoring the hateful look he was giving her.  
  
Harry was grinning widely at Mel as the five of them left the Three Broomsticks together. Malfoy, surprisingly, hadn't responded to her outburst, but instead muttered something under his breath as he walked away with Crabbe and Goyle. Mel didn't seem to care however; she shrugged it off as she walked with the others.  
  
"I can't believe you did that," Ron spoke up as they stepped again into the sunlight.  
  
"Well why wouldn't I?" Mel asked; sounding a little confused. "It was very wrong of him to say that."  
  
"I'm not arguing with that," Ron said quickly. "I just didn't think.well, you know. You're in the same house." he trailed off.  
  
Mel stopped walking and turned to face Ron, giving him a pointed look.  
  
"That's right, we are. But that doesn't make us the same person."  
  
Ron's cheeks flushed and he gave her an embarrassed smirk before averting his eyes.  
  
"I know you're not the same person," he said in a low voice, looking at his hands.  
  
Mel smiled at him.  
  
"Do you? Could have fooled me." she trailed off, looking innocently up at the sky.  
  
Ron sighed.  
  
"Oh alright, I'm sorry. Really I am. I just have never met anyone who's a Slytherin and.well.not a git.  
  
Mel tried to stifle a laugh.  
  
"That was an apology?" she asked sardonically, then continued before Ron could say anything. "Look don't worry about it. Apology accepted. Now let's go do something while we've still got time here."  
  
Harry had been watching the conversation with interest, and finally spoke up.  
  
"Where to?" he asked, throwing Ron a smirk. Hermione was giving him an amused grin as well. Ginny, however, still seemed to be regarding Mel disdainfully.  
  
"How about we check out the new quidditch supplies?" Mel asked looking at Harry.  
  
"Sounds good to me," he replied cheerfully. "Let's go."  
  
As they stepped through the doors into the quidditch shop, they saw a group of Ravenclaws, some of whom Harry recognized as members of the quidditch team. The only one he couldn't place was a young girl with strawberry-blonde hair, and was surprised when Mel called out to her.  
  
"Hey Sara!"  
  
The girl turned her head towards them and smiled.  
  
"Mel! What are you doing here? Did you finally decide to try out for your quidditch team?"  
  
Mel shook her head.  
  
"No, just here to have a look around," she replied.  
  
"You know you'd be better than that seeker they've got now, you're ten times better than him," Sara stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Mel blushed, and shrugged.  
  
"Well, my dad isn't rich enough to buy brooms for the entire team, what can I say?" She laughed to herself, before noticing the questioning look on Harry's face. Realizing she hadn't introduced anyone, she quickly turned to the others.  
  
"Oh, sorry guys, this is my cousin, Sara Delix. She's the new Ravenclaw seeker," then she turned to Sara, "and these are my friends, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter."  
  
"I know who they are," Sara replied with a smile, then she turned to Harry. "I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous that my first game as seeker is against you."  
  
Harry tried to smile reassuringly at her.  
  
"I know how unsettling the first game can be, I remember that feeling all too well," he replied. "But they picked you, didn't they? So just have some confidence in that, or you never would have made the team." He thought to himself how weird it felt telling a direct opponent to have confidence, but it felt like the right response.  
  
Sara smiled at him appreciatively.  
  
"So," Mel spoke up, looking at Sara. "Do they have anything good here? Anything worth buying?"  
  
"Well nothing new," Sara replied. "But did you hear about the new model broom? It'll be out at the beginning of next year. They're bringing the Moontrimmer line back, it's called a Moontrimmer 800."  
  
"Wow," Mel said, astonished, then turned to Harry. "I bet you'll be getting one of those the second it comes out, won't you?" she asked, jabbing him playfully in the ribs.  
  
Harry was smiling, and began to tell her he already had one, when he heard his name called. He turned to see Sirius had just walked into the store, with Marzia. Harry's smile faltered when he saw the expressions on their faces. He could tell, something was wrong.  
  
"What's going on?" Harry asked as Sirius strode up to the group. Marzia waited by the door, glancing out into the street tensely.  
  
"We're leaving. All of the students are being gathered up now. Everyone has to get back to the school."  
  
"But why?" Hermione asked. "Has something happened?"  
  
Sirius glanced over at Marzia who was motioning for him to hurry before turning back to them.  
  
"I really don't have time to explain, but we have to get you out of here," he said looking at Harry. He took one of his godson's arms and began walking towards the door, hastily. The other students in the store were being rounded up as well.  
  
"Sirius," Harry started, "I'm not arguing with you, but can you at least tell me why we have to leave? Is someone here?"  
  
But before Sirius could answer, an icy feeling began to engulf Harry. He stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"It's the dementors, isn't it?" he asked, already knowing the answer, even without hearing the voices of his parents, which he knew were sure to follow. He could now hear distant screaming, and dreaded stepping out the door to whatever sight awaited him.  
  
"Yes," Sirius said grimly. "Which is why we have to get you out of here." He began to pull his godson forward again, but Harry didn't budge.  
  
"We have to help them!" he said, motioning to the people outside. Many of them could be seen running in the streets now.  
  
"Harry, all the students need to be brought back to the school. That is our first priority, you included."  
  
"But the only way to beat a dementor is using the Patronus Charm! Remus told me not even fully trained wizards could master it easily, we don't know how many of them can protect themselves!" He looked at his godfather pleadingly. The dementors were only here because he was.  
  
"You are going back to the school, and I'm not going to argue with you about it," Sirius said firmly.  
  
Harry could tell by his godfather's eyes that arguing was useless. They left the store together and Harry spotted his friends a few feet ahead, with some people he didn't recognize, being escorted back towards the carriages that would take them to the school. Further past them, was a sight that caused his blood to run cold.  
  
There were over a dozen dementors at the end of the street, close to the Shrieking Shack. They were fanning out through the crowd of scattering people, making there way to the platform that led to the carriages. Harry's stomach lurched as he noticed several bodies were already lying on the ground. He prayed none of them had received the kiss.  
  
Harry grabbed his wand, but Sirius pulled him again towards the platform.  
  
"We're not fighting today," he said. "Who knows if more are coming? We can't risk it and we'd stand a better chance at the school."  
  
Harry was infuriated by what was happening, but was now beginning to feel weak, the dementors were getting closer and surely it was only a matter of minutes until he would hear his mother's cries.  
  
As they stepped onto the platform, Harry looked down the street again, and gasped.  
  
The dementors had cornered a group of students and the person who had been trying to escort them was on the ground. The number of dementors seemed to have doubled and the few people that could produce Patronuses had all but fled.  
  
"Sirius!" he cried, pointing towards them. He tried to move off the platform to go help, but his godfather was having none of that.  
  
"We can't let them." he began.  
  
"We aren't going to," Sirius replied. He looked over at Marzia, who nodded once, before stepping off the platform and stalking towards the dementors.  
  
Harry looked after her incredulously, unable to turn away as Sirius tugged on his arm. The other students were all in carriages now, so the two of them were the only ones left on the platform.  
  
"Come on Harry," Sirius said.  
  
"What is she going to do?" Harry asked anxiously. She had pulled out her wand and walked through the rushing crowd. "We're not going to just leave her, are we?"  
  
"Of course not," Sirius said, sounding strained. It was obvious he wanted to physically pick up his godson and force him into a carriage at this point.  
  
"Well then what." Harry began, but stopped abruptly. Marzia had reached the group, and had her wand trained on the dementors, but it wasn't a Patronus that came out of it.  
  
Thin shadowy tendrils of what appeared to be black smoke slipped softly from the tip of Marzia's wand. Harry watched, frozen to the spot, as the smoke slowly weaved itself in between and around the four dementors, who had now all turned to face Marzia. One of them took a menacing step forward, making as if to grab her, and Harry sprung to life. He jumped off the platform, and lifted his wand, ready to shout the words to create his Patronus, when someone roughly grabbed from behind, pinning his arms to his sides.  
  
Without thinking, he began to struggle, before he realized it was Sirius who had taken hold of him.  
  
"Sirius!" he cried, feeling confused at his godfather and fearful for Marzia's life, "Marzia.the dementor will get her if we don't."  
  
"No it won't!" Sirius cut him off, "Look!"  
  
Harry turned, steeling himself for the worst, and was stunned to see Marzia still standing, untouched. The dementors were now trying to retreat, but they seemed to be unable. The black tendrils of smoke were now stretching, becoming longer, and moving faster; each time one would come in contact with a dementor, the dementor would pull away as if bitten.  
  
Suddenly the sinister tendrils began swirling furiously, each one engulfing a dementor, moving so rapidly they looked like mini- tornadoes. Harry stood, gaping at the scene before him, feeling both amazed and horrified all at once. It was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. He didn't even notice as the students that had been trapped slipped around the nightmarish twisters, two of them carrying the person who had been escorting them to the carriages.  
  
Suddenly, the twisters faded, vanishing into thin air, and what was left of the dementors that had been engulfed, slumped sickeningly to the ground. Marzia stood where she was, unmoving, breathing heavily. Ever so slowly, she lowered her wand, before turning back towards the platform and began walking.  
  
"Harry, get to the carriages now," Sirius said, as he moved towards Marzia. As he reached her she collapsed forward into his arms, obviously completely drained of energy. Harry wanted very badly to find out what she had done, but knew he wasn't going to have any of his questions answered now. He glanced around at the town, surprised and relieved to see the other dementors were gone. The ground however, was littered with bodies, and all Harry could do was pray that none of them had been received the kiss.  
  
"Harry," Sirius said as he came up beside him, carrying Marzia's limp form, "I told you to get to the carriages, they may be gone, but we're still not safe here, now please, don't make me ask you again."  
  
Harry nodded, taking one last glance at Hogsmeade, and started towards the waiting carriages.  
  
The carriage ride seemed to take forever. Harry had sat in the same one as Sirius and Marzia, but didn't say much during the trip. Sirius was looking at Marzia, his face etched with concern, and Harry couldn't blame him. Marzia was looking feverish, shivering slightly, as if she were cold, yet sweating as well. Her eyes were shut tightly and she would let out a soft moan every so often. Harry hoped very much that she wasn't in pain, and wanted to know what exactly she had done to the dementors, and ultimately, to herself.  
  
"Will she be alright?" Harry asked very quietly.  
  
Sirius looked up sharply, as if startled, but his expression softened instantly.  
  
"I hope so.I think so, as long as we can get her back to the school quickly, everything should be okay."  
  
"What did she do?" Harry almost whispered.  
  
Sirius looked directly into Harry's eyes.  
  
"She killed them," he said bluntly.  
  
Harry stared at Marzia incredulously.  
  
"But.how?" he managed to get out.  
  
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait for that answer, because the only person who truly understands it, is her," Sirius replied, gesturing with his eyes to Marzia. She was lying back against Sirius' chest and he was cradling her in his arms, running a hand through her soft hair. Harry felt a great longing at that moment, seeing the love his godfather felt for this woman, whom he barely knew. He wanted to make her a part of his life, of their lives. The rest of the ride, he spent silently watching the two of them, hoping for everything to work out.  
  
When the carriages arrived at the school, Sirius carefully lifted Marzia out, and gently carried her into the school. Harry followed close by him, wanting to know what was wrong with her, but when they went through the doors, Dumbledore was standing there with McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Gazten. The headmaster nodded at Sirius who set off immediately in the direction of the hospital wing, before turning to the students.  
  
"I know that the incident at Hogsmeade today was a horrible ordeal for any of you to have experienced. I'm sure you all have many questions, ones for which at this time; I have no answers. In light of today's events I'm going to ask that you all go back to your towers, until the heads of houses come to get you for dinner. I want no one to walk the school alone right now, no matter how important you believe your reason to be. Now," he said turning to the teachers. "Please take the students to their towers and meet me in my office."  
  
The instructors nodded at him, then called for the students to form into groups, before setting off. Harry walked over to where the Gryffindors were standing, and found Ron, Hermione and Ginny. The four of them followed McGonagall through the hallways, while Harry explained quietly what he had seen.  
  
By the time they had entered the common room Harry had finished telling his friends about Marzia. He could see it in their eyes that they were just as shocked as he felt about it.  
  
"I don't understand it," Hermione said out loud when they were sitting in their usual corner, by this time the other students were accustomed to leaving it open for them. "She is a regular witch, right? Sirius would have told you if she were.something else?" she asked tentatively not wanting to insult Marzia.  
  
"He didn't seem as surprised as I was, I can tell you that," Harry replied. He wanted more than anything, he thought ironically, to go to the hospital wing. If something was wrong with Marzia he wanted to know, or even if it wasn't, he wanted to be reassured that she was okay.  
  
"Ron," he said, turning to his friend, "what do you know about Marzia?"  
  
Ron's eyes widened as he met Harry's gaze.  
  
"I can't." he began, then stopped. He seemed to be considering what he was about to say.  
  
Harry waited, trying to appear patient, but he needed to know, and he felt if Ron would ever tell him what was bothering him about Marzia, this would be that time.  
  
"Harry," Ron spoke at last, "over the summer, like I mentioned, my father was often in touch with Marzia because of Sirius' trial. Once or twice she even stopped by the house."  
  
Harry nodded, urging him to continue.  
  
Ron took a deep breath.  
  
"Well, I know this is going to sound silly," he began, "but."  
  
A very loud tapping sound at the window caused him to stop abruptly and look up. Harry turned towards it as well, suppressing the annoyance he felt at having been disturbed. Ginny had already jumped up as they all saw it was an owl with a letter tied to its leg, and opened the window.  
  
It flew the short distance to where Harry was sitting and landed, gently on his knee. Harry looked at it, with some confusion, before untying the letter from its leg. He pulled a few knuts out of his moneybag, which he still had with him from Hogsmeade, and dropped them into the small pouch that was fastened to the bird. It squawked once, before jumping up in a flutter of wings, and headed out the way it had come.  
  
Harry barely paid attention to this however, as he'd immediately recognized the handwriting on the envelope to be Cho's. He tore it open carefully and quickly read the contents of the letter. He stood up as he got to the end of the letter, and his stomach twisted violently as his eyes swept over the top right hand corner of the paper. He looked up at his friends, all waiting expectantly for him to finish.  
  
"I need to go see Dumbledore," he said urgently, "right now."  
  
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked fearfully.  
  
Harry looked at her than back to the hastily written letter. It was obvious by the messy scrawl that resembled Cho's usually neat writing; she had been in a hurry to get this out.  
  
He handed the letter to Hermione who read it aloud as Harry began pacing, anxiously.  
  
Voldemort has taken control of Azkaban. The dementors have sided with him. He plans on sending them to Hogwart's, but I don't know when. Don't reply to this, I have to leave the ministry and I'm not sure where I'm going. When I can, I'll send you an owl. Be careful Harry. Stay safe. I love you.  
  
Cho  
  
Hermione looked up as she finished reading, appearing as apprehensive as Harry felt.  
  
"She tried to warn you." she began.  
  
"Too bad she didn't find out sooner," Ron cut in.  
  
"That's just it," Harry began, "she's known for a while. Did you see the date?"  
  
Hermione nodded miserably as she held out the letter to Ron. Ginny came up behind him and they both looked at the top right corner of the letter. Their eyes widened in horror.  
  
"She's known since the middle of September?" Ron asked incredulously. "Why did it take so long for this letter to get here?"  
  
"I have no idea, but that one was written right after I received her first letter," Harry replied. I don't know if she ever got my second letter, but I'm sure Hedwig would never have given it to anyone else. That's why I have to see Dumbledore. He needs to know that the ministry is lying to us, and I need to find Cho." he trailed off. If anything happened to her because of him, he didn't think he could bear it. With great effort he suppressed the feeling of panic threatening to consume him, he would be no help to anyone if he let himself fall apart.  
  
"Well what are we waiting for?" Ron asked standing up. "Let's go."  
  
"Thanks Ron," Harry said, then started to turn towards the portrait hole.  
  
"Harry," Hermione called out before he could take a step. He gave her a questioning look.  
  
After a moment of seemingly considering what to say, she spoke.  
  
"Just be careful okay? Both of you. There are too many strange things happening here right now for me to believe any of us are entirely safe."  
  
"I promise," Harry said trying to give her a reassuring smile.  
  
"Don't worry Hermione," Ron put in. "We'll be fine. If Dumbledore isn't in his office, we'll come straight back and wait."  
  
Hermione nodded, still looking quite worried, but didn't say anything more.  
  
As they stepped through and shut the portrait behind them, they began the familiar walk to the headmaster's office. Harry turned to Ron.  
  
"If he isn't in his office, you know, I have no intention of giving up. I need to speak with him tonight."  
  
Ron nodded.  
  
"I figured that. I only told Hermione we wouldn't continue so she doesn't worry. Besides, after the attack on Hogsmeade.well, I don't think they'd try anything so soon."  
  
He stopped speaking abruptly as a shadowy figure stepped out in front of them, blocking their path.  
  
"Percy!" the two of them said in unison as he took a step towards them. He was standing no more then five feet away.  
  
"Harry, Ron. I'm glad I've found you," Percy said, sounding as if he were addressing old friends.  
  
"Did you need us for something?" Ron asked cautiously, though Harry could see the hopeful look in his eyes. He knew how much his friend wanted his old brother back.  
  
"Indeed I do," Percy said smiling widely. "I have something that I believe will be of great interest to you in my quarters. If you'll just come with me."  
  
"What is it?" Harry interrupted. He was not in any particular rush to follow Percy anywhere, time was wasting and he needed to find Dumbledore.  
  
Percy took another step towards them and Harry slipped his hand into his pocket, gripping his wand tightly. He didn't take it out yet, but waited to see what Percy would do next. A part of him felt horrible for being so untrusting of someone he once considered a friend, but this feeling eased slightly when he noticed Ron had done the same thing.  
  
"I have news.about Cho," Percy said carefully, also having noticed what they had just done.  
  
"She sent you an owl?" Harry asked both confused and hopeful.  
  
"Well yes," Percy replied, sounding somewhat haughty, "we're friends you know."  
  
"She mentioned that you paid her a visit," Harry said, "and that you asked about me." He took a breath and waited for the response.  
  
"I had to make sure you were alright, didn't I?" Percy asked, full of concern. "What better way to do that than to ask your girlfriend. At that time I didn't know I'd be sent here."  
  
"The last time we spoke, you didn't give me the impression you were here to look out for me," Harry replied evenly.  
  
"I admit I might have overreacted a bit," Percy said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But that was before. Now I'm thinking clearly, better than ever before in my life." He trailed off, gazing at something neither Harry nor Ron could see. The two of them exchanged a worried look before Ron spoke.  
  
"What are you on about?" he asked sounding quite confused.  
  
Percy's smile faltered as Ron's question snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked at his younger brother with an annoyed expression on his face, then raised his wand.  
  
Harry and Ron both pulled their wands out, but their reactions weren't fast enough.  
  
"Petrificus Totalis," Percy said evenly. The spell hit its mark and Ron immediately stiffened up. His legs clamped together and his arms were pinned to his sides. No longer able to keep his balance, he fell to the stone floor, hard.  
  
Harry, not wanting to hurt Percy, lifted his own wand towards him.  
  
"Stupefy!" he cried.  
  
The beam of light that left the tip of his wand hit Percy squarely on the chest. But instead of causing him to lose consciousness, it fizzled violently and faded out. Harry's jaw dropped as Percy seemed to gain energy from the spell. He grinned wickedly at Harry before raising his wand yet again.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Percy shouted and Harry felt his wand ripped from his grasp. It flew to Percy's waiting hand and he shoved it roughly into his robes. Harry was still shocked that his spell hadn't worked; he had no choice now but to do as Percy asked.  
  
He watched as Ron's stiff form was lifted hastily into the air by his older brother. Percy then turned again to Harry.  
  
"Let's be on our way Mr. Potter, I have some questions for you," he said. He was speaking to Harry as pleasantly as he would if he were asking someone to tea. "This way please." He gestured for Harry to move ahead of him, and directed him where to turn. Harry walked in silence, trying to think of a way out of this. Was it just that one spell that wouldn't affect Percy, or would nothing work? Should he bother with trying to get his wand back, or just get him and Ron out of there?  
  
They stopped at last in front of a door Harry had never been through. It led to several sets of guest quarters. Percy led them through several rooms until they were in the last one. He obviously didn't want to be disturbed, Harry thought.  
  
"Sit," Percy spat at Harry, all pretense of being friendly with him gone. Harry watched him set Ron down on the bed as he slowly lowered himself into the closest chair. It was very large and had great oversized arms.  
  
After reaching into Ron's pocket and pulling out his wand, Percy came over to where Harry was seated and sat down across from him.  
  
"Percy," Harry began immediately, "let Ron go. I promise I'll stay and answer anything you want me to."  
  
"No. I'm afraid that won't work," Percy said matter-of-factly. "If I do that, he'll be sure to bring some people here that I just don't want to see right now. No interruptions."  
  
"But."  
  
"NO!" Percy screamed, silencing Harry. His eyes looked wild all of a sudden and Harry didn't make a sound, not sure what the reaction would be. He could see, now that they were in a lit room instead of a dark hallway, that Percy was sweating profusely, and his eyes were darting every which way at once.  
  
After a moment, he seemed to regain his composure and looked at Harry again.  
  
"Who is it?" he asked. "It's Cho, isn't it?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked carefully.  
  
"Don't pretend you don't know!" Percy screamed standing up.  
  
Harry gripped the arms of the chair, looking around for anything he might be able to use that could help him.  
  
"I'm not pretending anything Percy," he continued. "If you'd just explain."  
  
"LIAR!" Percy screamed, completely infuriated. He spun around and seeing a shelf full of bottles on the wall, he began to rummage violently through them. He would pick up one, read the label, then slam it into the wall, becoming more enraged with each one, smashing them so hard the wall would shake. Harry tried not to flinch each time the glass would shatter and could see by the bloodstains on the wall, that Percy's hands were being shredded. When the shelf was empty, he spun back around, eyes wide and wild.  
  
Harry waited, tensely, for whatever Percy was going to do next. He couldn't understand where the anger was coming from, and wanted to help him. Percy looked around the room, before settling his gaze on Harry once more. He raised his wand, blood freely running down it from the gashes in his hand, and Harry held his breath, not knowing what to expect.  
  
Percy didn't say anything however, just waved his wand once, and a second later, Harry felt thin ropes coiling themselves around his wrists.  
  
"Percy! What are you doing?" Harry asked despairingly, trying to pull away, but it was too late, his arms were tied tightly to the chair. The cords continued winding themselves around him as he struggled, until all he could move were his legs.  
  
"I have to get something, it's a shame we had to do this the hard way," Percy said as he walked past Harry to where Ron was still lying on the bed. Harry could see the hurt look in his friend's eyes from his brother's betrayal, but Percy ignored it. He raised his wand again, releasing him from the body bind and tying him up.  
  
"Don't want the spell wearing off while I'm gone now do I?" he said as he stepped away from his brother.  
  
"Percy stop this!" Ron shouted now able to speak again. "Please just tell me what's going on!"  
  
Percy turned to look at his brother, and walked over to him quickly.  
  
"I almost forgot," he said absently, going into the draw next to the bed and pulling out a long cloth. He shoved it in Ron's mouth.  
  
"Don't want you to get anyone's attention while I'm gone either."  
  
Harry watched hopelessly, as Percy pulled another cloth out, and headed over to him. He couldn't turn away as the rag was shoved halfway down his throat and tied so roughly behind his head that Harry winced.  
  
"Behave boys, I'll be back shortly," he said like a parent would to a child, before heading for the door. He closed it quietly behind him and they both heard the sound of a lock turning, before they were completely alone. 


	8. Chapter 8

Harry immediately began to struggle against the bindings holding him to the chair, thrashing and twisting, but it was in vain. The ropes were too tight and he had no room to work with. He glanced towards Ron, who was also trying to free himself, to no avail. Neither of them could make enough noise to call for help, or draw any kind of attention to their situation. Even if Hermione and Ginny were to come looking for them, he doubted they would think to check Percy's quarters right away.  
  
Harry forced himself to take a deep breath through the thick gag in an effort to calm down. His stomach was knotted with worry over Percy's strange behavior. He wished he had some clue as to what he was looking for, but both times they spoke, it seemed he expected Harry would already know, and accused him of lying. Another worry that kept running through his mind was Ron, would Percy harm his own brother? If he wasn't thinking straight, as he clearly wasn't, Harry believed there was a definite possibility.  
  
After a few minutes of struggling helplessly against his restraints, he gave up and looked around the room. As his eyes swept over the shelf Percy had been standing at only moments earlier, he looked away from the sickening blood smears on the wall and caught sight of the broken shards of glass strewn all over the floor. Most of the pieces were too far away, as he couldn't budge the heavy chair, but a few of them had landed relatively close to where he was sitting.  
  
Stretching forward with his right leg, Harry began to fumble over the shards, trying desperately to bring one of them closer. The smaller bits shattered the second he put even the lightest amount of pressure on them, and he was running out of pieces, when at last he was able to draw one closer to him, using the tip of his foot. Ever so gently, he prodded it across the floor, until he had brought it directly beneath him. He glanced up again, to see Ron watching him intently, and throwing nervous glances towards the door, which Harry couldn't see as his back was to it. Neither of them knew where Percy was going, or how long it would take for him to return.  
  
Harry took another deep breath, hoping this worked. He used his right foot to slide the glass as close to his left as possible. Then, bending his left ankle towards the floor, and holding the glass in place with his right, was able to get the piece to lay flat on the inner part of his left shoe. Carefully, he began to lift his left leg towards his right hand, sweat running lightly down from his forehead, into his eyes. He blinked several times, ignoring the irritation it caused and just kept moving. At last he was able to bring his foot close enough to his hand, and just barely grasped it using the tips of his fingers.  
  
When he lowered his leg, he heard Ron let out a muffled sigh of relief through the gag in his mouth. He tried to look at him reassuringly, before shifting the glass in his hand to get a firmer grip. Carefully he set the tip of it against the ropes, and began swiping it back and forth. Since his movement was so very limited, the process was slow and tedious.  
  
Harry had barely managed to cut through just one strand of rope, however, when he heard a noise that made his heart sink. The lock on the door clicked open, and someone entered the room.  
  
Harry tried to turn and see who had come in, but couldn't budge in the slightest to see over the high back of the chair. He looked at Ron, whose eyes were very wide and Harry couldn't tell if he was scared or confused. He heard soft footsteps coming closer to him, and saw a shadow fall across the floor, stopping just behind the chair he was in. For a brief moment, which felt like ages, Harry held his breath, waiting for whatever the person was going to do to him. He felt the ropes around him tighten slightly, and he closed his eyes, when suddenly the cords went slack, and slipped down around his middle, loosely. Still unable to turn around as his wrists were tied to the arms of the chair, he waited, confused and hopeful, before the person finally stepped into view.  
  
Harry's eyes widened in disbelief, if he had been able to speak he wasn't sure he even could've. The person leaned forward and untied the gag from behind Harry's head, then pulled it out of his mouth.  
  
Harry began coughing immediately, his throat very dry from the rag that had been stuffed down it. When the small fit subsided, he looked at the person currently working at the bonds on his right wrist.  
  
"Neville.how?" was all he managed to ask in a hoarse voice.  
  
"No time Harry," Neville replied urgently. "Percy's on his way back now. We have to hurry."  
  
"He's on his way back? Do you know where he's coming from or what he went to get?" Harry asked as Neville finally freed his wrist. He got to work on his left arm while Neville went to Ron, and pulled out his gag.  
  
"All I know is he's coming, I can't explain anything to you, we just have to get out of here."  
  
Harry stood up having finished untying his other wrist, and went over to help with Ron. When he was free, Neville immediately turned and headed for the door.  
  
"What about our wands?" Ron asked, standing up.  
  
"Do you really want to wait here until he's back?" Neville asked, looking over his shoulder at Ron.  
  
"We need to get to Dumbledore and explain what's happened," Harry spoke up, he had so many questions racing through his brain that it was giving him a headache. But he knew now was not a good time to sit down and have a discussion. He started towards Neville, and Ron followed.  
  
As he reached for the door however, Neville grabbed his arm roughly and yanked him back. Harry gave him a questioning look, but Neville didn't see it. He pulled out his wand as if ready to attack, all the while taking steps backwards and motioning for Harry and Ron to do the same.  
  
Only seconds later, the door was pulled open and Percy strode arrogantly into the room, his wand in one hand and a small bottle in the other. He stopped dead in his tracks however upon seeing his two captives free from their bonds, and a third person in the room with them.  
  
He stepped forward threateningly as he glared darkly at Neville.  
  
"I don't like unexpected guests," he hissed sounding positively infuriated, then began to raise his wand.  
  
Neville, surprisingly, stood his ground while Harry and Ron waited anxiously for what was coming. He raised his wand quickly, aiming at Percy, and before either of them could warn Neville that spells might not work on Percy, he spoke.  
  
"Accio wands!" he said quickly and the tip of his own wand lit, as Harry and Ron's flew out of the folds of Percy's cloak and into Neville's empty hand. Percy's own wand didn't budge, and he smirked at what he considered a feeble attempt to disarm him.  
  
"You didn't even use the correct spell," he said tauntingly, sneering at Neville who quickly handed the wands back to their owners.  
  
"I used the one I intended to," he replied quietly, returning Percy's gaze evenly.  
  
Harry was so shocked by Neville's complete change in attitude; all he could do was watch in awe. Ron's stunned expression mirrored his own feelings perfectly. This was not the scared, frightened, easily bullied Neville they were used to.  
  
"We'll be on our way now Mr. Weasley," Neville spoke again, politely as possible. Percy didn't reply; his eyes had taken on a glassy appearance as he looked off at something only he could see. His arms had gone lax, and hung lazily at his sides; blood dripped steadily to the floor from his hands and his head was cocked slightly towards his right shoulder. Harry and Ron stepped up next to Neville, exchanging worried glances, before the three of them made a start for the door.  
  
Their movement brought Percy back to himself who immediately straightened his stance and brought his wand up once again, aiming it at Harry.  
  
"You can't leave Potter!" he spat and Harry flinched at having been called that by Percy. "I won't let you, not until I have my answers."  
  
"Tell me what you want to know," Harry said, having no plans of giving Percy any information he wanted. But if he could make him think he would for the time being, it could buy them time to escape. Percy was blocking the only exit.  
  
After a thoughtful silence in which Percy again seemed to glass over, he extended his hand with the bottle towards Harry.  
  
"Now I need you to drink all of this," he said, sounding like he was trying to get a stubborn child to take their medicine.  
  
"What is it?" Ron asked before Harry could speak. He was looking at his brother with both suspicion and sadness now, and Harry felt horrible for his friend. They needed to get help for Percy, as it was quite obvious he wasn't acting of his own accord, at least not entirely.  
  
"Was I speaking to you?" he snarled, turning his wand on Ron.  
  
"Percy, what's gotten into you? You act like I'm your enemy but all I want is to help you!" Ron said, trying to reach his brother.  
  
"If you want to help me convince your friend here to drink this," he replied then looked menacingly at Harry, "or I'll force him to."  
  
Harry glanced at Percy's wand, then at the bottle still extended towards him, before tentatively reaching out and taking it. As he balanced both his wand and the bottle in his hands, he extracted the cork and sniffed the murky looking liquid. The scent that filled his nose was so wonderful, Harry found himself wanting to drink it.  
  
Neville, who had been silent for most of the conversation, spoke suddenly.  
  
"Hey, Harry," he started, sounding as if he were going to ask a question. Harry looked up at him just in time to see him dart forward, snatching the bottle from his grasp. Before anyone could move, he threw it with all his strength, smashing it against the far wall.  
  
Percy's eyes flashed dangerously as he aimed his wand at Neville. He mumbled something that neither Harry nor Ron caught, and a silver ball of light burst from the tip of his wand.  
  
Neville didn't move, seemingly expecting this to happen, he held his wand upright in front of him until the silver light collided with it. The wand turned black as it was silhouetted by the light, which was quickly sucked into it, before it reverted back to its normal color.  
  
Harry and Ron watched in amazement, entirely baffled by what they had just witnessed. Percy, however, smiled gleefully, not the least bit surprised at what Neville had just done.  
  
"Only one more to find then," Percy whispered before lifting his other arm. He flicked his fingers in the slightest and Neville was flung the length of the room. His back hit the wall violently and he slid to the floor amidst the broken glass.  
  
"Neville!" Harry cried as both he and Ron started towards him, but Neville held up a scraped hand, gesturing for them to stay back.  
  
"You have to stop him Harry, all I can do is defend."  
  
"But." Harry began, "what do."  
  
"Look out!" Neville shouted, scrambling to his feet. Harry intuitively ducked, pulling Ron with him, barely missing being hit by another silver ball of light that flew harmlessly over their heads.  
  
He stood up, whirling to face Percy as Neville stepped up beside them, limping slightly.  
  
"Neville," Harry whispered, "you didn't see it, my last spell had no effect on him; it just fizzled out." He fixed his gaze on Percy, trying to prepare himself for anything.  
  
"Try a different one," Neville replied holding his wand upright yet again and catching the next silver ball of light Percy sent at them.  
  
Harry lifted his wand and searched his brain, calling out any spells he could think of that would disarm or immobilize someone, but not hurt. Each spell in turn hit its mark, and promptly fizzled out, unfortunately seeming to give Percy more strength.  
  
"Nothing's working!" Harry cried as Neville continued to catch Percy's spells. He was at a loss for what to do.  
  
"You have to try something more powerful!" Neville said forcefully.  
  
"But I can't hurt him.it's Percy!" Harry said, flinching as another blast of light slammed into Neville's wand.  
  
"This is getting us nowhere," Percy said, sounding annoyed. He raised his empty hand again, and Harry was ready to grab hold of Neville, but instead of flinging one of them backwards, he took hold of Ron in an invisible grasp, and dragged him forward.  
  
Harry and Neville both lunged for him but he was pulled too quickly, despite the fact he was pushing his heels into the floor in an effort to slow his progress.  
  
Percy's outstretched hand had begun to glow the same color as the spell he'd been shooting and as Ron was drawn closer to him he grabbed him harshly by the throat.  
  
Lifting his younger brother into the air using strength he'd never shown, he shoved him ruthlessly against the nearest wall and pulled his hand away. Harry was horrified to see Ron was being choked, hanging by his throat several feet above the floor, by a silver light around his neck. He began to gasp desperately for air, trying frantically to push himself up further, but his shoes kept slipping against the smooth wall. Each time he tried to grasp the light around his throat, it burned red hot, preventing him from keeping his hold.  
  
"Percy!" Harry shouted, tearing his gaze away from Ron's terrified eyes, "What are you doing? He'll die if you don't."  
  
"No!" Percy interrupted loudly, raising a finger. He turned to face Harry, grinning cruelly. "Not because of me. He'll die because of you. If you don't answer my questions, we'll find out exactly how long he can last."  
  
Harry felt sick. His best friend was going to die right in front of him, and he didn't know if he could stop it.  
  
"Percy, please just let him down," Harry said, straining to keep his voice steady, "I'll tell you anything you want just please." he trailed off, glancing again at Ron, "Look at him he can't breathe!" He unconsciously took a step towards his friend wanting very badly to help him.  
  
"You want him down, then answer my question," Percy said sounding far too calm.  
  
"Fine, ask me, what do you want to know?" Harry replied anxiously, trying to figure out how to save Ron. He could see no way out of this and Neville wasn't offering any suggestions either.  
  
"Is Cho the one?" Percy asked in a very low voice.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"You heard me."  
  
Ron was still trying desperately to catch hold of something, and at last was able to catch his left shoe on the smallest of bumps in the wall. He became incredibly still for fear of losing his grip, and greedily gulped in air.  
  
"Right, I meant what do you mean?" Harry replied impatiently. "Is Cho the one what?" He was looking at Percy now, relieved that Ron was okay for the moment, but knew he couldn't hold his stance for long. His leg was already shaking under the strain and he was sweating heavily.  
  
"It would be wise of you to drop this charade and answer my question," Percy hissed.  
  
Harry looked into his eyes, searchingly. They were completely devoid of all emotion; he knew that this Percy truly didn't care about his brother and would let him die without so much as a second thought.  
  
"I swear to you.I'm not lying. I honestly don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"He's telling the truth Percy," Neville spoke up and Percy threw him a dark glare. Harry wondered briefly if Neville was just playing along with him, or if he knew something about what Percy was asking. His attention was drawn back to Ron again, however, when Percy finally noticed he was holding himself up.  
  
"No fair cheating," he growled, then viciously kicked Ron's shaking leg, causing him to lose his grip. Harry was sure he heard a sharp crack as Ron began to let out a cry of pain but was harshly cut off as the silver noose was once again tightly around his neck, cutting off his air.  
  
Harry's temper flared at this and for the first time, didn't care if he hurt Percy.  
  
"Why did you do that?" he shouted, glaring hatefully at the elder Weasley.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Percy asked haughtily. "You can't kill me, because he'll surely die. This spell won't go away just because I do, I am the only one who can get him down."  
  
Harry cocked his head to one side, considering what Percy had said for a split second, before coming to a decision.  
  
Harry felt a startling rush of power flood through him and for a moment, felt stronger than ever before in his life. It faded almost as quickly as it came, however, and Harry didn't give it a second thought as he raised his wand at Percy. He glanced quickly at Ron, who was slowly losing consciousness from the lack of air, before speaking.  
  
"Let him down now," he said evenly "or I'll make you."  
  
"You don't have the power to make me do anything," Percy sneered. He opened his mouth to speak again but Harry didn't give him the chance.  
  
"Imperio!" he yelled feeling the tingling sensation caused by the power of the curse running through his wand and watched the beam of light that erupted from its tip.  
  
Percy's insufferable look of confidence faltered entirely for the first time since he had stopped Harry and Ron in the hall, but had no time to get out of the way. The curse hit him with great force and he took a step back, before he straightened up, immediately appearing quite at ease with a far off look in his eyes.  
  
"How did you.?" Neville trailed off, looking in awe at Harry, but Harry didn't acknowledge him, just kept his concentration on Percy.  
  
"Let Ron down," he said evenly. Percy turned towards his brother, who was still struggling, though very weakly. He raised his hand that wasn't holding the wand and moved towards Ron's throat. As his fingertips were about to make contact with the silver noose, his brow furrowed darkly and Harry knew he was fighting the curse. Using every ounce of strength he possessed, he concentrated on holding Percy under the curse and after just a few seconds, it worked. Percy seemed to relax again and wrapped his hand around Ron's neck. When he pulled his hand away Ron crumpled to the floor, instantly taking great heaving breaths, gulping in the air, and Percy took a step back, the glow on his hand fading.  
  
Harry fought the urge to run to his friend's side. He needed to take care of Percy first and releasing him from the curse was out of the question. After a quick glance around the room he spoke to Percy again.  
  
"Sit down in the chair."  
  
Percy walked slowly to the chair Harry had been in earlier and lowered himself into it. Neville, catching on to what Harry was intending to do, stepped around to the other side of Percy.  
  
"Give Neville your wand."  
  
Percy obligingly handed it over and as soon as Neville had it, he conjured ropes out of the air, tying Percy's wrists just as Harry's had been. He did the same to his ankles, just in case he tried to use the glass on the floor. When Percy was securely tied up, Harry lowered his wand and flew to Ron's side, failing to notice the strange smirk Neville was giving him.  
  
Ron was leaning up against the wall, too weak to move and taking long deep breaths. His skin was paler than Harry had ever seen it, and his lips had taken on a blue tinge. The worst was his neck, the skin was blistered and bleeding from the heat of whatever the silver light actually was.  
  
"He tried to kill me." Ron croaked, unable to meet Harry's eyes. His throat was so hoarse it sounded nothing like him. Harry was filled with such grief for his friend it was almost unbearable, he tried to look reassuringly at him.  
  
"Ron, don't think about it right now, we will find out what's going on, I promise you. But right now we have to get you to the hospital wing."  
  
Ron stared across the room at his brother, who was sitting in the chair, unmoving. Percy hadn't made a sound since Harry had lifted the Imperius Curse. His eyes watered and he screwed up his face tightly; Harry looked away, knowing that Ron didn't want him to see him like this and an awkward silence fell over the room.  
  
After a few moments, Neville slowly walked over near the door before turning to Harry.  
  
"I have to leave now, will you be able to get him to the hospital wing alright?  
  
Harry stood up quickly, looking at Neville.  
  
"Leaving? Why? You need to go to the hospital wing too, I saw you limping before."  
  
"No, I'm fine," Neville replied, cutting him off. "Ron's leg is broken though, so if you can't get him there I can make a stretcher for you."  
  
Harry's jaw dropped, now that the immediate threat had passed it was truly dawning on him that Neville had been using a great many spells that evening, which he probably shouldn't know how to do. The fact that it was Neville, the student that was always last to catch on in any lesson except Herbology, made it even stranger. He eyed him suspiciously for the first time that night.  
  
"What's going on Neville? It's obvious you know something I don't."  
  
Neville met his gaze, seeming to consider what he should say.  
  
"There's really nothing I can tell you Harry, nothing you'll understand anyway."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"I can't!" Neville shouted then blushed, self-consciously. He spoke again, controlling his voice. "I'm sorry, I truly am, but I really can't say anything and I have to go. Don't tell anyone I was here."  
  
"What?" Harry asked, now his turn to shout. "How can I not? What am I going to say about.?"  
  
"Tell them Wormtail freed you," Neville replied.  
  
Harry's eyes widened in astonishment and his stomach twisted.  
  
"How did you.who told you about Wormtail?" he whispered.  
  
He watched as Neville grimaced, realizing his mistake.  
  
"Look, if I were you I'd be more worried about getting him to the hospital wing," Neville said, gesturing towards Ron. "And getting some help for Percy."  
  
Harry's head was spinning from all the unanswered questions he had, but Neville was right, Ron needed medical attention quite badly, his breathing still hadn't gone back to normal and the color wasn't returning to his face. Before he could answer Neville had conjured up a stretcher and began to lift Ron's crumpled form onto it.  
  
The two of them looked at each other again, and finally Harry nodded. He pulled out his wand and took control over the stretcher.  
  
"Thank you," Neville replied, then quickly hurried through the door.  
  
Harry didn't waste any time, he glanced at Percy once more, who still hadn't moved or spoken, before nudging the stretcher forward. He edged it carefully through the door, not wanting to jar it against anything. When he was completely out of the room, he closed the door gently behind him, before heading directly towards the hospital wing.  
  
Ron was lying motionless on his side; his eyes barely open. Harry could see they were very red and puffy and his heart went out to his friend. He was going to find out what had been done to Percy no matter what. Whoever had done this had put Ron through more pain than he ever could have deserved, mentally and physically.  
  
Suddenly Ron doubled over and began coughing violently. Harry stopped moving, coming around to his side, waiting for the fit to subside. When at last he stopped, Ron slumped back into a semi-conscious state, his hand that he'd brought up to his face now hanging over the edge of the stretcher. Harry's stomach lurched when he saw it was splattered with blood. Needing no medical knowledge to realize how bad this was, he began moving again, as fast as he could without fear of crashing the stretcher into something.  
  
As he neared the hospital wing at last, he heard voices from around the corner to the hallway he was in. He stopped just long enough to make sure they were people he recognized, before rushing forward again, anxious to get care for Ron.  
  
When he made the last turn, he saw Sirius deep in conversation with Remus just outside the hospital wings just as he expected, and called out to them.  
  
"Sirius, Remus!" he yelled, cautious to keep the stretcher steady. The two men looked up towards the sound of Harry's voice, and both of their eyes instantly fell on Ron.  
  
"He needs help," Harry said, realizing his voice was beginning to shake. The strain of everything that had happened that evening was starting to set in and he was afraid he might break down, something he didn't want anyone to see.  
  
Remus had already come up next to him, taking control of the stretcher and whisking it away into the hospital wing.  
  
"What happened?" Sirius asked, sounding very concerned and looking directly at his godson.  
  
"Too much to explain right here." Harry said, now fighting against the misery inside and straining to keep his voice even. The true realization of how close to death Ron had come was now fully affecting him, and he quickly averted his eyes.  
  
Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it, and nodded at Harry.  
  
"Let's let Madam Pomfrey have a look at you," he said after a moment. "I'll go inform Dumbledore we've found you."  
  
Harry nodded, feeling numb, and followed his godfather into the hospital wing. So they had been looking for him, he realized he didn't have any idea how long they'd been gone, but didn't dwell on it too long. Sirius led him to the nearest bed, and told him to wait there, before drawing the curtains around him.  
  
Harry listened to the sound of his godfather's retreating footsteps and sighed heavily. He lay back on the bed, not bothering to change, and waited.  
  
A short while later, just as he was beginning to doze, Harry heard someone outside the curtains. There were at least two people, speaking in hushed tones, too low for him to make out what they were saying. He kept his eyes shut and lay very still, until he heard one set of footsteps retreating, and the curtains were gently slid open.  
  
"I think he's sleeping," came Madam Pomfrey's hushed whisper as Harry felt her step up next to him.  
  
"Unfortunately this is one occasion where we can't let him stay that way. We must know what happened to both he and Mr. Weasley this evening."  
  
Harry opened his eyes and pushed himself into an upright position, upon hearing Dumbledore's voice.  
  
"Is Ron alright?" he asked with undisguised worry. He could see now that Dumbledore's expression was very grim, which was decidedly a bad sign as far as Harry was concerned.  
  
"He is sleeping," Dumbledore replied, not really answering the question. "It would be a great help to us if you could explain where you've been for the last four hours and what happened during that time."  
  
"Four hours? How did you know we were missing?" Harry asked, thinking everything had happened so fast; it hadn't seemed that long to him.  
  
"Miss Granger and Miss Weasley came to my office looking for you, saying you were anxious to speak with me regarding a letter you received. They were wondering why you hadn't returned. They're both here now, by Mr. Weasley's bed."  
  
Harry looked down guiltily, wondering how he was going to explain this with Ginny there. He had no idea how to tell them what Percy had done in a gentle way.  
  
"Can we go see him?" Harry asked, sliding off the bed, anxious to see for himself that Ron was okay.  
  
"Yes, everyone is waiting for you there," Dumbledore replied. Harry followed the headmaster back to the area that Snape had been kept in while he was ill. 'Everyone' included Sirius, Remus, McGonagall, Hermione and Ginny.  
  
They were all surrounding Ron's sleeping form, Hermione and Ginny seated, the others standing. When they heard them approaching, both girls stood up.  
  
"What happened?" Hermione barely whispered, looking at Harry through puffy red eyes. Ginny's were the same, and she looked pleadingly to him for an explanation. It was almost too much for him to bear, but he forced himself forward. Looking at his best friend's still form, his eyes started to well up and he had to duck his head.  
  
Ron was not looking the least bit better. His skin was still very pale and clammy and his breathing was very uneven. The burns covering his throat had been cleaned, but they were not healed.  
  
Harry jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked to see Sirius standing next to him, trying to look reassuring.  
  
"Aren't we going to give him something?" Harry asked weakly, turning his gaze on Dumbledore. "He doesn't look any different from when I brought him in."  
  
Dumbledore looked sadly back at Harry.  
  
"We have tried to treat his wounds, internal and external. As of now, nothing has worked."  
  
Harry felt his insides run cold and could do little more than stare at Dumbledore in horror. Ginny, however, was not at a loss for words.  
  
"Well we can't just give up! There's got to be something that can help him! A potion or a spell.something!" she shouted, beside herself with worry.  
  
Dumbledore turned to Ginny and spoke to her gently.  
  
"My dear I assure you we are not giving up, what we need right now is to find out exactly what happened to your brother. Possibly we can figure out a suitable treatment if we know the cause of his ailments."  
  
Ginny nodded and began to turn back to Ron, when she seemed to suddenly think of something.  
  
"Percy!" she yelled causing Harry to jump. He wondered frantically how she knew about him when she continued quickly.  
  
"We have to tell him, he'll want to know what happened since he's here!"  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Yes we should have someone fetch him, I would assume he's in his quarters."  
  
"He is," Harry cut him off, sighing weakly. He wanted nothing less than to have to say what was coming next.  
  
Every pair of eyes settled on him.  
  
"How do you know?" Remus asked.  
  
Harry took a deep breath fixing his gaze on his hands.  
  
"Because."  
  
He looked up at Ron's pale features.  
  
"Because he's the one who did this," he finished, almost whispering.  
  
He looked around the room, not sure he wanted to see their reactions. Ginny began sobbing, and Hermione was speechless with shock. Remus went to Ginny and gently eased her into her chair. He began trying to calm her down. Sirius' expression was mixed with shock and anger, he knew what had been happening with Percy to some extent, but never believed it would come to this.  
  
"You said he is definitely still in his quarters?" Dumbledore asked just as Harry was turning to look at him.  
  
"Yes.well he should be," Harry said quietly. "I had to.um.tie him to a chair, to stop him." he trailed off, looking down at his hands again.  
  
"Will you tell us what happened Harry?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry nodded, thinking at least he wouldn't have to explain this more than once. Everyone who would want to know was already there. He began to tell them everything starting with the run in with Percy on their way to the headmaster's office and how his spell had no effect after he put Ron in the body bind. For half an hour he talked without interruption of what was said in Percy's quarters, and how he left them both bound as he went to fetch something. When he came to where Neville showed up, however, he hesitated.  
  
"What is it Harry?" Sirius when his godson stopped speaking.  
  
"Um.nothing," he shook his head, "nothing, just trying to remember correctly."  
  
He began talking again, simply replacing Neville's name with Wormtail's, deciding that was the only believable lie, but hating himself for not telling them the truth. He was going to speak to Neville about this the second he got him alone, and find out what was going on.  
  
Since Wormtail didn't carry a wand he had to change some of the story, saying that since Percy couldn't see him he was able to swipe their wands from his robes. When he told about the silver balls of light Percy sent at them he said they dodged them. He was sure to include the fact that none of his spells had any effect on Percy besides seeming to give him more energy.  
  
When he began explaining how Percy had pulled Ron to him and left him pinned to the wall by his neck, unable to breathe, he almost couldn't continue. It was hard enough to relive the experience without hearing the quiet sobs of Ron's girlfriend and sister. Harry had never felt so guilty in his life. He had the strength to stop Percy from the start, and by waiting, had almost lost his best friend, might still lose him, if a treatment couldn't be found.  
  
He continued and told them how Percy had asked again about Cho, and still didn't explain what he really wanted to know. When he got to the part about Percy breaking Ron's leg, and feeling the anger and power surge through him, he stopped again. Until that moment, he hadn't thought about the fact that he had used an unforgivable curse, only that he was saving his friend.  
  
"Harry?" Sirius asked again, "Are you alright?"  
  
Harry looked into his godfather's eyes; he could see the raw concern in them, the love he felt for him, and couldn't help but feel the smallest bit of relief. He nodded slowly before speaking again.  
  
"I used the Imperius Curse on him." he said, then continued quickly, "I'm really sorry, I just couldn't think of."  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Dumbledore cut him off gently. "What you did, was save Mr. Weasley's life, and for that you should be commended."  
  
Harry smiled weakly at the headmaster, and hoped that was what he truly had done. He finished by telling how he had Percy let Ron down, and tied him to the chair before taking the curse off him.  
  
"Then I just brought Ron here," he said, looking up as he ended. He looked around the room at each person in turn before turning to Dumbledore.  
  
"So, does that help at all? Can we figure out a treatment for Ron?" he asked anxiously, sitting tensely in his chair.  
  
"Let us hope so, Harry. I promise we will work on this as fast as we can."  
  
"Well," Harry started, not wanting to sound ungrateful, "how long will."  
  
He stopped talking abruptly and everyone looked up as the doors to the room swung open loudly.  
  
Harry was somewhat surprised to see Hagrid step into the room, followed closely by Professor Gazten. The two of them headed directly for the headmaster.  
  
"Hagrid," Dumbledore began, lightly, "What can we do for you?" It was obvious he hadn't expected Hagrid to make an appearance this evening.  
  
"Fergive me Professor Dumbledore, sir, but I think Allison here c'n help yeh's."  
  
Dumbledore gave Hagrid a piercing look, before speaking.  
  
"Help us how?"  
  
"Well," Hagrid began, shuffling his feet nervously. He was more twice Dumbledore's size and he still couldn't help but behave like a small child in front of him when he was uneasy. "I heard young Mr. Weasley was ill an'."  
  
"Who told you that?" Dumbledore interrupted, sounding stern. He wasn't angry with Hagrid, but the worry on the gentle giant's face was apparent.  
  
Hagrid looked anxiously at Gazten, as if asking her for help, and she took a step forward.  
  
"Headmaster, I knew about what happened to Ron because I felt it," she stated.  
  
Dumbledore considered her carefully for a moment.  
  
"Please explain what you mean, how long did you know about Mr. Weasley's situation and what exactly did you feel."  
  
"I've only known for a short while, no longer than any of you. As for the feeling, that's all I can say, there's no other way to explain it. Please believe me when I say I can help him."  
  
She spoke in a very delicate voice but still managed to sound firm and it was another moment before Dumbledore finally turned again to Hagrid.  
  
"We will need to have a discussion later," was all he said. Hagrid nodded, visibly paling, but held the headmaster's gaze.  
  
"How is it," Sirius spoke up from next to Harry, "that you can be so sure about your ability to help him? We've tried many treatments already that should have worked, but didn't seem to make the slightest difference. The only thing we were able to mend was his leg."  
  
Harry looked at his friend and realized that Ron's leg was back in a normal position. He wondered why that should heal so quickly while all his other injuries didn't respond to the medicines.  
  
"Mr. Black," Gazten said, looking directly at Sirius, "I will give you the explanation for that as best I can, but it is imperative that I treat him first, while there's still time."  
  
"While there's still time?" Hermione asked, worriedly. She hadn't spoken a word during the entire time Harry had told them what happened, which was quite uncharacteristic of her. Her face was very red from all the crying and she looked ready to collapse. Ginny, who was sitting next to her, didn't seem to hear anything. She was numb from the shock of it all, and Harry couldn't help but feel responsible for her current state, she never should have found out like this, someone should have broken it to her gently.  
  
Gazten had walked around to the end of the bed where Ron's head was laying limply on the pillow. She ever so gently ran her finger along the burns on his neck.  
  
"See this?" she asked, looking at Hermione. "I'd bet anything they were not this red before. Most likely not this long either."  
  
Hermione looked at her, uncertainly, and stood up to take a look, Harry did the same.  
  
"You're right," he said flatly, feeling completely defeated. "They weren't like that when he first got them." Gazten nodded knowingly and brushed the hair off of Ron's forehead gently. His skin was very damp and his breathing was much worse.  
  
"Why though?" Remus asked. "What kind of magic would do this, and be resistant to all cures?"  
  
"Not all cures," Gazten replied quickly. "Just the ones you know of. I told you I promise to explain.what I can.but I must treat him first."  
  
"Well how do you intend to do that?" Sirius asked suspiciously eyeing her. "It doesn't look like you've brought anything with you." he trailed off gesturing at her empty hands.  
  
Gazten didn't answer him, merely looked at Dumbledore.  
  
"Will you allow me to help him? I understand your apprehension, but he doesn't have much time, I promise you that."  
  
Dumbledore dropped her gaze to look at Hagrid, who nodded fiercely. He turned back to Gazten.  
  
"I trust Hagrid's judgment, and he most certainly seems to believe in you. Severus speaks highly of you as well, so please, anything you can do to help him would be greatly appreciated."  
  
Gazten bowed her head once then looked around at the others.  
  
"It's important for all of you to understand, whatever you see, don't interfere or it may cost him his life. Is that clear?"  
  
Everyone nodded silently, waiting anxiously for what was coming. Harry's stomach was in knots and he had to force himself to stand still.  
  
Gazten slowly moved her hands forward, and placed her fingertips along Ron's shoulder blades. She began massaging them lightly and heat seemed to radiate from the motion. Ron let out a low moan of pain and Ginny looked up sharply, but stayed seated. Then without warning, Gazten swiftly moved her fingers up to his neck, her fingernails grew over two inches as she did so, and she viciously sunk them into the exposed burns.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ginny screamed, jumping from her chair. Her eyes were flashing with rage and her cheeks were flushed. She lunged at Gazten who still hadn't acknowledged her having spoken. Remus moved forward to stop her, but wasn't fast enough.  
  
Harry and Hermione had both stood up, but were rooted to the spot, watching in anxiety and horror, as Ginny grabbed Gazten's wrists, in an effort to pull her away from Ron.  
  
Gazten's eyes fell on Ginny, and for the first time Harry noticed they were again white, the same as they had been when he found her the second day of school, watching over Snape. She inclined her head in the slightest and there was a spark of light from where their skin touched; Ginny was thrown backwards, into Remus.  
  
Now it was Sirius' turn to go for her, but was interrupted before he could take more than one step.  
  
"DON' IN'ERFERE!!" Hagrid bellowed. "You jes saw what happen'd teh Ginny, the same'll happen teh you, an' if we keep this up, she won' be able teh save 'im!"  
  
Sirius was so shocked at having been screamed at by the usually peaceful Hagrid, that he didn't move. He just looked back at Ginny, who was now being helped back up by Remus. Whatever the light was that caused her to let go of Gazten seemed to pacify her as well. She allowed herself to be led back to her seat by Remus, and resumed watching Gazten.  
  
Harry had not taken his eyes off Ron since everything started, except for the moment when Hagrid yelled, but quickly looked back to his friend. He didn't appear to be in the least bit of pain, and that was why he hadn't reacted as Ginny had from the start, Hermione seemed to have noticed as well, and the two of them waited for any reaction from Ron.  
  
Suddenly, Gazten's entire body began to glow softly, until they could no longer see her features it was so bright. Ron was engulfed in the light as well, and Harry had to avert his eyes from the glare, as it was too painful to look at. Slowly, when he felt the light fading, he turned back just in time to see a sight he was completely unprepared for.  
  
Gazten was melting, there was no other way to describe it, she was still featureless and glowing, but they had been able to see her shape clearly until now. Her feet had become one and curled upwards towards her torso, while her head was slumping into her neck. After what felt like hours, she was nothing more than a ball of light, connected to Ron's throat. The light hovered above him for just a moment, before surging forward, flooding his being.  
  
Ron's back arched, but not in any way that appeared painful. Light was emanating from his fingertips and the lacerations on his neck, filling the room with a blinding glow.  
  
Abruptly the light went out, and everyone was still, no one even dared breathe, waiting and watching. It seemed to go on like this forever, and Harry began to worry that something had gone wrong, when Ron's eyes opened suddenly, and a luminescent smoke was released from them.  
  
The smoke accumulated at the foot of the bed, very gradually, before taking on a familiar form. After just a few seconds, Gazten was standing before them, looking perfectly calm and collected. She came around to the side of the bed, next to Harry, who immediately stood up. The two of them leaned over Ron, Hermione doing the same from the other side.  
  
Gazten raised her hand, once again pushing Ron's hair off of his forehead. The bruises on his throat were gone, completely healed. His breathing was back to normal as well, strong and steady. Harry sighed with relief as Ron's eyes fluttered open softly. He squinted at first, allowing his eyes to adjust to the brightness, before focusing on his two friends.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, looking from Harry to Hermione. When he noticed Gazten standing over him, he gave her a questioning stare.  
  
Before Harry could answer Ron, Ginny jumped up from her chair, as if she were suddenly released from some sort of hold, and threw her arms awkwardly around her brother. She tried to speak, but was overcome with emotion, and just buried her head in his shirt. Ron tried clumsily to sit up, Ginny refusing to let go of him, and settled for leaning on his elbows. He looked inquiringly at Harry, nodding towards his sister. He didn't remember, Harry realized, hoping he wouldn't have to explain everything again.  
  
"How are you feeling Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked, stepping to the foot of the bed.  
  
"Er.fine, thank you," Ron replied uncertainly. "Can one of you tell me what happened? Why is everyone staring at me? Why am I in the hospital wing? Where's Madam Pomfrey?"  
  
Dumbledore looked curiously at Ron, then turned his gaze to Gazten.  
  
"No he didn't lose his memory," she said, reading his thoughts, "It's coming."  
  
Harry found that statement to be quite strange, 'it's coming' as if it were catching up or something. He began to ask Gazten why Ron hadn't just remembered right away, when his thoughts were interrupted.  
  
"Percy." Ron whispered, his eyes saddening. He shut them tightly, pulling Ginny closer to him; she still wouldn't let go.  
  
"What's going to happen to my brother?" Ron asked, opening his eyes and looking to the headmaster.  
  
"We need to send someone to get him quickly," Gazten spoke up before Dumbledore could reply, earning her glares from Sirius and Remus.  
  
"Anxious to avoid the explanation you promised us?" Sirius asked, eyeing her pointedly.  
  
"Not at all," Gazten replied, "anxious to see what we can find out from Percy before whoever controlled him wipes his memory."  
  
"Aren't you being a little presumptuous?" Remus asked. "We have no proof Percy was being controlled and can't be sure of anything until we."  
  
"His abusive behavior towards people he's always cared about and the knowledge of magic that he's never been shown and should have no access to means one of two things. Either he's sided against his family and therefore all of us, or he's being controlled."  
  
"I'm curious," Dumbledore spoke calmly, "how is it you know anything of what Percy said or did? I can't recall you being present for Mr. Potter's explanation to the rest of us."  
  
Gazten's eyes shifted to Ron, who was following the discussion intently, before looking back to the headmaster. She sighed almost inaudibly before continuing.  
  
"By healing young Mr.Weasley, I was able to absorb his thoughts and memories. Reliving them in a way, I experienced the same feelings and emotions that he felt."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sirius interrupted. "Every memory he's ever had?"  
  
"No, just the most recent ones, the ones he felt when his injuries occurred. I'm not a mind reader, and can't decide what I feel and what I don't."  
  
"That still doesn't tell us how you did it," Sirius replied.  
  
"Because we're wasting time!" she replied loudly. "I don't think you understand how important it is that we get to Percy before someone else does!"  
  
"Is he in danger?" Harry asked, concerned. Even after what Percy had done, he didn't want to see him hurt. He agreed with Gazten in that he wasn't acting on his own.  
  
"He may be," Gazten replied.  
  
"Well we have to go get him!" Ron said pushing his covers off hurriedly.  
  
"Whoa, hold on!" Remus said, taking one of Ron's arms. "You need to stay here and rest."  
  
"I feel fine!" Ron said quickly. "Better than I have all day as a matter of fact, but if someone's controlling Percy and now they're going to hurt him we have to get him out of there!"  
  
"He's right," Harry said before anyone else could speak, "He's tied to a chair, and doesn't have a wand."  
  
"Remus and I will get Percy," Sirius said gently to Ron. "I promise you he'll be okay with us."  
  
"I want to talk to him," Ron said suddenly. "I need to see if."  
  
"Mr. Weasley, you will be able to speak with him, soon enough," Dumbledore spoke. "Sirius, I want you and Remus to bring Percy to my office, I will want to examine him myself."  
  
Sirius and Remus nodded, and set off towards the door.  
  
"Professor Gazten," he continued. "I would like to speak with you as well. I am most grateful for what you did this evening and as Hagrid seems to have great trust in you," he said glancing towards the half- giant standing silently by the door, "I am glad to have you here. I will want to hear much more about where you are from, but unfortunately we will have to talk tomorrow, I'm sure you understand?"  
  
"Of course," she replied, bowing her head, "we need to find out all we can from Percy right now."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, then turned to Harry.  
  
"Mr. Potter, you said Percy didn't have his wand, I expect you have it then?"  
  
Harry began to nod, before remembering he had Percy give the wand to Neville. He tried to think fast, not wanting to lie to Dumbledore, but having no choice.  
  
"I did have it, but I must've put it down." was all he could come up with. He kept his eyes firmly pointed towards the ground.  
  
Dumbledore observed Harry carefully, waiting patiently for him to continue. Before Harry could go on, Gazten spoke.  
  
"I think you gave it to Ron," she said looking into Harry's eyes.  
  
"I don't think I." he began but trailed off as Ron began fishing around in his robes. The look of surprise on his face when he produced the wand was equal to the look of confusion on Harry's.  
  
"Why did you put it in my pocket?" Ron asked, baffled. Harry shook his head and shrugged.  
  
"I must've done it without thinking, because I don't remember it."  
  
He looked to Gazten curiously, if she had Ron's memories, how could she know it was in his pocket, when he didn't even know it?  
  
For a moment, it seemed Dumbledore was thinking the same thing, but instead of questioning her as Harry expected, he simply nodded.  
  
"May I have the wand, Mr. Weasley?" he asked.  
  
Ron took one more look at his brother's wand, before carefully handing it to the headmaster.  
  
"Thank you, I will send Madam Pomfrey in to have another look at you, but if you are as well as you appear to be, I'm sure she will let you go back to your tower for the night."  
  
Ron nodded gratefully, clearly very anxious to get out of the hospital wing.  
  
"I will have dinner brought up to you as well, none of you is to go anywhere except straight to your common room when you leave here. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes sir," Harry said, as Dumbledore was looking to him when he spoke. He wondered, briefly, if things were coming to a point when he would never be allowed to walk the halls without an escort, but shook the negative thoughts from his head. Now that Ron was alright, he wanted very badly to find out who Gazten really was. Even Dumbledore wanted to know more about her abilities, which he found surprising. He knew the headmaster didn't have an answer for everything, but he still wasn't used to seeing him mystified about anything.  
  
"I must be getting back to my office now," Dumbledore spoke again. "I'm sure Sirius and Remus will be on their way there. Please take care to be cautious, all of you."  
  
"Professor?" Ron asked quickly, and the headmaster turned to him once more.  
  
"After I speak with Percy tonight, I will let you ask him what you wish tomorrow. For now, try not to think too much on it." He looked at Ron almost sadly, before turning away, and leaving the room.  
  
"I'm going to be on my way as well," Gazten said, softly. "Madam Pomfrey will be here shortly, please just wait here until then."  
  
Harry nodded, trying to bite his tongue and not ask any questions of her. She had promised to speak with Dumbledore and for now that was good enough for him, all he wanted was to get out of the hospital wing. He could see by the looks on his friends' faces they felt the same. So he watched in silence as Gazten spoke quietly with Hagrid, before the two of them exited the room.  
  
Harry sat down in one of the chairs next to the bed and sighed lightly. This had been one of the worst Halloween's of his life, and he was grateful they had all made it through alive. As he glanced around the room at his friends, he wished Cho were there with them, when suddenly it hit him. He had completely forgot to mention the letter to Dumbledore.  
  
"What is it Harry?" Ron asked, catching the dismayed expression on his friend's face.  
  
"The whole reason we left the common room," Harry began mournfully "and got into this whole mess, was to tell Dumbledore about Cho's letter, and what with everything that happened, I never mentioned it!" He threw up his hands in disgust.  
  
Hermione, who had been uncharacteristically silent for most of the evening, spoke up then.  
  
"Well it will have to wait until tomorrow, there's no way we're going wandering through the halls now, especially after we just promised Dumbledore we'd go straight to the tower."  
  
Harry knew she was right, and nodded dejectedly. He felt it was very important to tell the headmaster about the ministry lying to him, but decided that he probably wouldn't be contacting them right away at least, even to report Percy. Dumbledore would most definitely send for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley first, so there was still some time left. He would just have to go when he woke up, first thing. No sense in putting it off past that.  
  
For the first time that night he heard his stomach rumbling, and realized how hungry he was. He hoped Madam Pomfrey would hurry.  
  
"You know," Hermione spoke again, "I have quite a few questions about Professor Gazten. It seems the only person who knows anything about her is Hagrid, and he obviously hasn't shared any of his knowledge with Dumbledore."  
  
"I'm definitely with you on that one Hermione," Harry said. "It's so unlike Hagrid to keep things from Dumbledore. I seem to recall him being horrible at keeping secrets."  
  
"Well we don't know how much he knows or how much he's kept to himself," Ron pointed out. "The question is who do we ask? We can go to Gazten herself, try to get information from Hagrid, or wait until Dumbledore speaks with her and then try and get him to tell us."  
  
"We can ask Dumbledore later, I want to find out about Percy first," Ginny spoke up. She had been sitting next to Ron, holding his right hand in both of hers, silently. Harry was almost relieved to hear her talk.  
  
"That's true," Ron said. "We can speak to Dumbledore about everything tomorrow. Cho's letter, Percy's behavior and Gazten's abilities." He paused for a moment, seeming to consider something, before going on. "Did anyone else think it was weird she knew I had the wand? I mean if she had my memories.why wouldn't I remember it?"  
  
"I was thinking the same thing!" Harry and Hermione exclaimed in unison, then looked at each other, grinning.  
  
"Dumbledore must've realized that too," Hermione continued, looking serious again.  
  
"I thought so, but then he didn't say anything," Harry replied.  
  
"You can't remember putting the wand in Ron's pocket at all?" Hermione asked him. Harry began to shake his head no, when Ron spoke.  
  
"You know, now that I think about it, didn't you have Percy give it to Neville?"  
  
Harry shut his eyes tightly, cringing inwardly. He hadn't even thought about trying to warn Ron not to say anything, but now it was too late.  
  
"So," Ron continued, oblivious to Harry or the strange looks he was receiving from Hermione and Ginny. "That means Gazten must've lied, right?" He looked up at everyone then and realized something wasn't right. "What?" he asked, confused.  
  
"Gazten isn't the only one who lied," Hermione said quietly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Harry lifted his eyes to meet Ron's gaze.  
  
"I didn't tell them about Neville." he trailed off, wishing he had a better explanation then the one he was about to give them.  
  
Ron stared at him a few more seconds, before his eyes shown with recognition, and he inhaled sharply.  
  
"Oh.Harry, I forgot.sorry." he muttered.  
  
Both Ginny and Hermione whirled towards Ron now.  
  
"Forgot?" Ginny asked. "Will one of you please start explaining?" She sounded more annoyed than angry.  
  
"Look I'm really sorry, but he made me promise," Harry began.  
  
"Wait," Hermione interrupted. "Start from the beginning, was Neville actually there at any point during your encounter with Percy?"  
  
"Yes," Harry replied.  
  
"Okay, so tell us what happened from when he first arrived, and then you can give us your explanation."  
  
She sat back and folded her arms against her chest, Ginny doing the same. Neither of them were going to let this slide. Harry sighed in resignation, and was thankful this hadn't happened while Dumbledore was still present. As quickly as possible, he retold the story from when Neville had freed them, being sure to include the magic he used that he probably shouldn't have known, and how he had made Percy give him his wand.  
  
"Then he made me promise not to tell anyone he was there." Harry finished, waiting for their response.  
  
"Don't you think this is something Dumbledore should be aware of?" Hermione asked. "I mean, not only was Percy using strange magic, but Neville, who can barely learn the simplest of spells, being able to defend against it. From the way you explained it, he seemed to be expecting what Percy did, some of it at least."  
  
"Hermione, trust me, I want to tell Dumbledore about it, very badly. But I promised Neville I wouldn't, and I'm not going to break my word. I just want a chance to ask him about it, when we have time to talk. Then if he still won't tell me anything, I'll let him know that I'll have to tell Dumbledore about it.  
  
Hermione looked into Harry's eyes for a long moment, before finally nodding.  
  
"Just talk to him soon, alright? Preferably before we speak with Dumbledore tomorrow."  
  
Harry smiled, and was about to reply, when Ginny stood up suddenly.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry, but we have to tell someone now, if Neville's powers are connected to Percy's it will help us help him. I'm going to speak with Dumbledore now."  
  
Her jaw was set and she looked very adamant. Harry could do nothing but stare at her in shock, and it was only when she moved to pass him that he was jarred into motion. He stood up and jumped in front of her.  
  
"Please, Ginny. Just wait one day. That's all I'm asking!" He pleaded.  
  
"I didn't make any promises to Neville, Harry," she replied stubbornly, her eyes dark.  
  
"But I did! And I couldn't agree with you more, any information that will help Percy I definitely want to make sure Dumbledore has it. But if we tell everyone now, and Neville finds out, as he most certainly will when they want to question him, he'll know I was the one to tell. He might not give the information we need either. Please, let's just try it my way, just until tomorrow." he trailed off, looking at her, asking with his eyes, willing her to say yes.  
  
The sound of approaching footsteps made everyone look up, as the doors were pushed open and Madam Pomfrey entered the room. She looked very pale as she crossed to Ron's bed, stopping just next to him.  
  
"Well Mr. Weasley, I see you've made quite a recovery this evening," she said, sounding distant. It was quite obvious her mind was elsewhere.  
  
Ron nodded emphatically and smiled.  
  
"I feel fine," he proclaimed, "really, just great! Can I go back to the tower tonight?" he asked hopefully.  
  
She looked at him skeptically for a moment, before replying.  
  
"I'll need to check you over first, then we'll see how well you are."  
  
The others watched as Madam Pomfrey went through her usual routine, which Harry had come to know all too well. He kept glancing uncertainly at Ginny, who still retained the same stubborn look, hoping she wouldn't decide to just blurt it out. When Madam Pomfrey finished at last, she stepped back, her brow etched in a mixture of confusion and concern.  
  
"Well, what's the verdict?" Ron asked anxiously.  
  
"When you were first brought in tonight," she began, "I would've been surprised to see you leave in less than a month, now here you are, right as rain. It's like nothing I've ever seen before."  
  
"So.I can go then?" Ron prompted.  
  
She sighed lightly before shaking her head once in awe.  
  
"Yes, I really see no reason to keep you."  
  
Ron immediately began to swing his legs to the side.  
  
"But!" she continued loudly, causing him to stop and look at her. "If you feel anything, no matter what it is, I don't care if it's the smallest of discomforts, I want you back here, is that clear?" she asked with a stern look.  
  
Ron, wanting only to leave, nodded quickly.  
  
"Promise," he said, grinning. He hopped off the bed quickly and headed straight for the door. Harry, Hermione and Ginny went with him silently, and only after they were out of the hospital wing completely did the conversation resume.  
  
"Thank you for not saying anything," Harry said, looking sideways at Ginny, who was walking to his right.  
  
"I never said I wanted to tell her, I want to speak with Dumbledore," she replied curtly.  
  
"Ginny?" Ron asked gently. He waited until she looked up at him before continuing. "I agree that we have to tell Dumbledore."  
  
"See?" Ginny said, looking back to Harry and gesturing towards her brother.  
  
"Wait," Ron continued. "I agree he has to be told, but Harry's right too. If Neville will talk to us then we really should get whatever we can from him. We'll just let him know we can't continue to keep his secret."  
  
"But." Ginny began.  
  
"Please Ginny? You heard Dumbledore anyway, we're to go straight to our common room, nowhere else."  
  
"Like that's ever stopped you before." she muttered. After a moment's thought, she continued.  
  
"Alright, but just until tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks Ginny!" Harry smiled. He looked at her happily and saw her cheeks flush. She quickly averted her eyes and let her hair drop over the side of her face so he couldn't see her blushing.  
  
"Well, now that that's settled," Hermione began, "Who wants to take a guess as to why Gazten was lying tonight?"  
  
"I've been dying to talk to her all night," Harry replied. "But couldn't because it would've meant telling about Neville in front of Dumbledore. Though I have no idea why she would lie for him too. If Ron remembered Neville being there, she must've too."  
  
"Maybe she's helping Neville," Ron suggested. "He knew an awful lot of strange magic tonight."  
  
"So did Percy," Hermione pointed out. "She could be helping him too."  
  
"Then I don't see why she helped me keep Neville's presence a secret," Harry said. "If she was the reason behind Percy's behavior, there would've been no reason to."  
  
"Unless she's trying to throw you off, make you think she wants to help," Ginny said.  
  
Harry shook his head in disgust. He was entirely fed up with having to be so careful with who he trusted. If someone seemed to be a friend, he wanted to believe them, not analyze everything they said and did before deciding if he could trust them.  
  
"As of this moment," he began, "the only way we have of finding out anything is through Neville. We know he's on our side, and if he tells us Gazten has been helping him, that will at least let us know she is too. Dumbledore is going to find out about her powers tomorrow, and we can ask about that when we go to see him."  
  
"I don't think she's helping Percy in any case," Ron commented. "If she were, I would think she would've tried to be the one to see him first, rather than let Remus and Sirius go. She seemed pretty sure someone was going to try something on him." he trailed off, looking worried again.  
  
"He'll be alright," Hermione said quickly, looping her arm through Ron's reassuringly. "Don't worry. Sirius and Remus are great wizards, they'll be able to get him to Dumbledore safely, and we all know there's no one more powerful in this school then him."  
  
Ron smiled weakly at her, nodding slightly.  
  
"I know, I'll just feel better when I know for sure.I hate wondering."  
  
The four of them continued on in silence, and it wasn't long until they reached the portrait of the fat lady. Hermione gave the password, and the all filed inside. Some students were still milling around, but most had gone to sleep. As it wasn't a school night, and after the scare at Hogsmeade, it was very understandable that not everyone would be asleep.  
  
They headed for their corner and found dinner had already been set out for them, along with the usual Halloween treats.  
  
"Well I guess we missed the feast this year," Ron said, scooping potatoes onto his plate.  
  
"I bet it wasn't much fun anyway," Harry said, "after what happened at Hogsmeade." he trailed off. He wondered briefly what happened to Marzia. She hadn't been with Sirius this evening, but he didn't see her anywhere in the hospital wing. When he saw Sirius the next day, he would have to ask him.  
  
It didn't take long for the four of them to devour the meal, as they were all ravenous from not eating since breakfast. Harry sat back in his chair, contented and stuffed.  
  
"I.I don't th-think I can stay up any more." Ron yawned. He lifted his arms into the air, stretching, before slumping back into his chair.  
  
"You're exhausted," Hermione laughed. "Get some sleep, so we can have breakfast early and find Neville. I want to talk to him as soon as possible."  
  
"Let me talk to him first, okay?" Harry asked. "I don't want him to know I told you yet."  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"Alright, but just try to tell him soon."  
  
"I have no plans for dragging this out," Harry replied smiling.  
  
"G-good night guys," Ron said, trying to stifle another yawn.  
  
"Good night Ron," Ginny said. "I think I'm gonna head up too."  
  
"Same with me," Hermione said, then looked at Harry.  
  
"I'm just going to sit here a bit longer," he said meeting her gaze. "I'm not incredibly tired, surprisingly. Don't worry I won't stay too long," he added, seeing her give him a pointed look.  
  
She shook her head with a bemused grin on her face, and stood up. Saying good night to each other, the three friends headed to their dorms, leaving Harry in his chair.  
  
He didn't have any particular reason for staying up, just wasn't tired enough to sleep. The events of the day were playing over and over in his head, but no answers presented themselves. The only thing he was accomplishing was stirring up more feelings of worry within him. There were just too many things that he didn't know, and wasn't sure even Dumbledore knew, that had to be addressed. He hoped he hadn't made a mistake by not going to Dumbledore about the letter he received from Cho after he forgot earlier. She was obviously in trouble if she had to leave the ministry, and he could only pray she'd be alright until he found her, something he had every intention of doing, with or without help. He didn't think Dumbledore would say no to finding her though, all he had to do was get things going.  
  
Harry sat for over an hour, thinking in circles and giving himself a headache, before finally giving up and deciding to turn in. He stood up slowly, stretching, before looking around the now empty common room, and heading for the door to the dorms. As he reached out his hand to grasp the doorknob, he heard a soft click from behind him and looked over his shoulder to see the portrait hole swinging open slowly. 


	9. Chapter 9

Harry quickly stepped out of sight around the corner nearest to him, waiting in tense silence, as someone slipped through into the common room, obviously making an effort to be quiet. The figure turned and gently pulled the portrait shut, before gradually turning back around.  
  
"A bit late getting back tonight?" Harry asked, recognizing the person immediately and stepping out into full view.  
  
Neville jumped a foot in the air, visibly paling at the surprise of being caught sneaking in, before he met Harry's gaze.  
  
"You scared me," he said quietly, breathing fast.  
  
"We're even then, you scared me coming in so late, I didn't think you were a student," he stopped for a moment, looking into Neville's eyes, which were unreadable, before continuing. "What happened tonight Neville?"  
  
Neville took a few hesitant steps forward and Harry noticed his leg immediately, he was no longer limping.  
  
"Feeling better?" he asked, gesturing towards his leg.  
  
Neville looked down, then back at Harry.  
  
"Much," he answered shortly.  
  
"What did Madam Pomfrey say?"  
  
"Huh?" Neville replied, then it dawned on him. "Oh.no, I didn't go to her."  
  
Harry sighed, seeing that this was going to be like pulling teeth.  
  
"Neville will you just be straight with me?" he asked, trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. "There are some very strange things going on and a great deal of them have to do with you. Where did you learn the magic you used tonight? How did you know Ron and I were even there? Why didn't you want anyone to know about it? How did Gazten get Percy's wand?"  
  
Harry stopped for air, and looked at Neville stubbornly. He wanted answers to at least some of these questions.  
  
"Alright," Neville began, "I can't explain anything about the magic, or how I knew you were there. I didn't want anyone to know because I can't tell them anything either and I gave the wand to Allison."  
  
Harry looked carefully at Neville, as if weighing him, before replying.  
  
"So what, you two are good friends now?" he asked. "Is she the one who healed your leg?"  
  
Neville just nodded once.  
  
"So why can't you tell me anything then? I know she helped you and you both helped me.what's the problem with Dumbledore knowing?"  
  
"We're not going to keep it from him forever, Allison said when the time is right."  
  
"Right? For what?" Harry asked and Neville just shook his head. "If you're not going to tell me anything I don't see why I should keep your secret," Harry stated evenly. He fixed Neville with an obstinate glare, waiting for his response.  
  
"You do whatever you feel you need to," Neville replied quickly. "Though it won't help you find out any faster. If they make Allison leave you'll only be making things worse."  
  
Harry turned away, considering what Neville just said. He hated keeping this from Dumbledore, but at the same time, felt what he'd just been told was the truth.  
  
"Do you swear to me that Gazten is on our side? Do you know this for a fact?" Harry asked at last.  
  
"Yes," Neville replied without hesitation. "Yes she is Harry. And I promise you will be told everything.but I can't be the one to tell you.not until more is known."  
  
"Neville, if you tell me even just a little, maybe I can help you find whatever else it is you need to know." Harry started.  
  
"Not my decision," Neville said firmly.  
  
"Neville.I don't like this. Not one bit."  
  
"Like I said, you do whatever you feel you need to. I can't tell you anymore than I already have." The two men stood, staring at each other for a long moment in silence, until Neville finally stepped forward.  
  
"Good night, Harry," he said, moving towards the door. Harry didn't try to stop him, just watched him pass by and listened to his footsteps as they ascended the stairs. A few moments went by, before he went up the stairs himself, thinking it would be better to make his decision in the morning.  
  
Harry felt as if his head had barely touched the pillow, before he was shaken awake, roughly. He opened his eyes slowly and found the sun blaring through the window was too much, so he shut them immediately and tried to roll over.  
  
"Harry, c'mon!" he heard Ron's voice say, "We've got some things to do today, the girls are already waiting for us in the great hall, let's go!"  
  
Harry sat up groggily and looked around. He wanted only to go back to sleep and stay that way for several hours. But when he felt his glasses being put on roughly by Ron, he began to move.  
  
"Alright, alright.I'm comin!" he said irritably, shooing his friend's hand away, pushing off the covers and heading for his closet.  
  
When he was dressed, although still not fully awake, he followed Ron downstairs and through the portrait hole. They entered the great hall together and headed straight for where Hermione and Ginny were sitting.  
  
"You stayed too long, didn't you?" Hermione asked playfully, giving Harry a knowing look.  
  
He tried to glare back at her, but couldn't. He began to chuckle to himself from overtiredness, and his friends just stared at him in confusion.  
  
"Did I miss something?" Ginny asked. "What's so funny?"  
  
Ron and Hermione just shrugged, and waited for Harry to finish.  
  
"It's nothing," Harry said finally, putting his elbow up on the table and resting his chin in his hand. "I'm just tired, don't mind me."  
  
"How late did you stay up exactly?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"I don't know.long enough to see Neville trying to sneak in."  
  
"What?" The other three cried in unison, cutting Harry off.  
  
"What do you mean sneaking in?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Just what I said," Harry replied. "He was trying to be very quiet and I startled him when I asked him why he was so late."  
  
"What did he say?" Ron asked.  
  
"Not much, actually," Harry replied and began to tell them everything he could remember from the conversation the night before.  
  
"You are telling Dumbledore, right?" Hermione asked when Harry had finished his story. He remained silent, not meeting anyone's eyes, before slowly turning to look at Ginny.  
  
She still wanted to go to the headmaster with everything, it was very apparent in her eyes, but Harry shook his head.  
  
"Not yet.I want to hear what they found out from Percy, if anything. And what Gazten told them about her powers. Neville swears she's on our side."  
  
"What if she's controlling him, huh? Ever think about that?" Ginny interrupted him, speaking harshly. "She could be using him to get to anyone, most likely you." She fixed Harry with a pointed glare and folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"I believe," Harry began, meeting Ginny's gaze, "that would be even more of a reason to keep the secret. Suppose she is controlling him, and thinks we know it, then we won't have time to figure out why if she decides to accelerate whatever her plan is. If she isn't, then we have nothing to worry about. Either way we're better off staying quiet, at least until we know more."  
  
"How exactly do you propose we find out more then?" Ginny asked, stubbornly.  
  
"By doing what we had planned on yesterday. We talk to Dumbledore, find out about Percy and Gazten, whatever he knows."  
  
"We have to tell him about Cho's letter too," Hermione said.  
  
"Believe me I haven't forgotten," Harry replied. "This way he'll know about the ministry as well, and Thurston lying to him," he added looking again at Ginny. "He probably won't send Percy back there, and so he'll be under Dumbledore's care, he'll be safe."  
  
Ginny still looked far from convinced, but grudgingly nodded.  
  
"I won't say anything.for now." she said quietly.  
  
"Thank you," Harry replied.  
  
The four of them ate breakfast in silence, and as soon as they finished, decided to head straight for the headmaster's office.  
  
"No sense in putting it off," Hermione said as they got up from the table and headed out to the hallway.  
  
"I hope he's talked to Gazten already," Ron said as they walked. "I mean, we don't know what time they were planning on meeting and if it isn't until this afternoon or something."  
  
"We can at least find out what he knows about Percy," Harry cut him off. "If we have to come back later for Gazten, then we do."  
  
They reached the statue and Harry said the password. It swung open slowly and the four of them started up the stairs, Harry first. They could hear voices that got progressively louder as they got closer, and Harry realized they were arguing. He motioned for everyone to be quiet as they reached the top and he recognized the voices immediately.  
  
Sirius and Snape.  
  
Harry pushed the door open slightly, and the four of them didn't move a muscle as they listened to the argument taking place.  
  
"I don't trust her, she should never have been allowed here in the first place. I think it's time we ask her to leave," Sirius was saying in a strained voice. He and Snape were standing a few feet from each other, both standing. Dumbledore and Remus were in the room as well, watching the other two men.  
  
"You don't have any idea what you're talking about!" Snape replied fiercely. "I've spent a great deal of time with Allison and I believe her intentions are all good." He paused for a moment, eyeing Sirius before continuing.  
  
"You should be paying more attention to your fiancé, I think. Only the darkest witches and wizards know how to control the power required to kill a dementor."  
  
Sirius took a step towards the potions master, who Harry noticed still looked quite ill.  
  
"I'm sure you'd know all about that, wouldn't you Snape?" Sirius practically spat at him. "And I believe the important thing to remember is that she was in fact using her powers to destroy them, not aid them in any way. Marzia acquired the knowledge for many different types of magic on various ministry assignments."  
  
"Take what you're saying about Allison and apply it to Marzia," Snape said quietly. "She too could have been doing something to make it appear as if she were on your side, only to ensure you trust her until she decides to reveal her true intentions, and then it will be too late."  
  
Sirius could not have looked angrier. His eyes flashed dangerously at the potions master and he took another step towards him.  
  
"You've known Gazten for a few months, I've known Marzia for years!" he shouted. "You couldn't possibly know as much about that stranger as I do about my fiancé! She would never."  
  
"Yes you have known her for years.but how well?" Snape interrupted. "Because for the last sixteen of those years you've known her you haven't so much as seen her. How can you possibly know everything she's been up to.?"  
  
"She's told me all about what's happened in her life.that's what people who care about each other do, not that I'd expect you to know anything about that," Sirius replied, glaring at Snape.  
  
"You assume too much," Snape hissed. "People can change a great deal in that span of time and if she were here as a spy do you really think she'd just tell you? But you're letting your feelings get in the way and you haven't even considered the possibility."  
  
Sirius was clearly done with talking and was ready to lunge at Snape, when Remus stepped up beside him, placing a firm hand on his arm.  
  
"I think this discussion has gone a bit off topic," he said cautiously, looking back and forth from Sirius to Snape before turning to Dumbledore.  
  
The headmaster had been watching the 'discussion' with interest, listening to both sides intently.  
  
"I understand your concerns, both of you. However I am not prepared to ask either Allison or Marzia to leave, as quite frankly, I don't see a reason for it. Neither of them has done anything that suggests they want to harm any of the students and at this time, we need each and every ally we come by."  
  
Sirius and Snape were still staring hatefully at one another, but neither of them argued with the headmaster.  
  
Harry decided at once to take advantage of the silence that was sure to be short-lived. He rapped softly on the door and pushed it open, to see everyone looking back at him.  
  
"Good morning Harry," Dumbledore said with the familiar twinkle in his eye. "I expected you'd be visiting me today, please come in," he said, gesturing for him to enter.  
  
"Good morning Professor Dumbledore," Harry replied as he stepped into the room revealing the others behind him.  
  
"I see everyone is present and accounted for," Dumbledore said, smiling. "Wonderful, I needed to speak with all of you today."  
  
The four of them made their was quietly into the room, no one sure what to say after what they had just heard. As they seated themselves, Snape eyed them suspiciously before addressing Harry.  
  
"Exactly how long were you eavesdropping Mr. Potter?"  
  
"Severus!" Remus said, sounding shocked. "You can't just go around accusing."  
  
"I wasn't eavesdropping," Harry replied, cutting him off. "We were coming here to speak with Professor Dumbledore and happened to overhear the end of your.discussion."  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed and Harry continued.  
  
"I didn't realize you had so much dislike for Marzia.but I can't understand why." Harry looked at the potions master, waiting for his response and noticed how anxious Ron appeared to hear it as well.  
  
"Yes I'd like to know that too," Sirius spoke up drawing Snape's attention back to him. "What happened? Did she save your life in school? We all know how much you hate being in debt to people."  
  
Snape's face flushed and his eyes flashed dangerously at Sirius. If it weren't for his weakened state, Harry would've bet anything he'd have taken a swing at Sirius.  
  
"That is quite enough from both of you," Dumbledore spoke up in a demanding voice. "Severus, I appreciate you coming here today, you've been a wonderful help. But now it is time you get your rest." He turned to Lupin before going on. "Remus, would you be good enough to see that Severus gets back to his quarters?"  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
"Certainly Albus," he replied. "Severus, are you ready?" he asked.  
  
Snape was still glaring at Sirius, angrier than even Harry could remember seeing him. He wondered if Sirius really had been joking when he asked about Marzia saving him, or if there were something else.  
  
Remus went up to Snape after a moment, tapping him gently on the arm to get his attention. The potions master turned to him sharply, but Remus didn't flinch.  
  
"Come on then Severus, we best be on our way," he said gently.  
  
"Get your rest Severus, you need it," Dumbledore said to him.  
  
Snape nodded at him, obviously not wanting to leave, but too weak to argue any more. He followed Lupin across the room, not allowing himself to be helped in any way. He didn't hide the fact that he didn't want an escort to his room, but still remained silent.  
  
As soon as the door was closed, Harry turned to Dumbledore.  
  
"Has anyone found out what's wrong with him yet? Why is he still sick?"  
  
"Professor Snape is being cared for by Professor Gazten, he has shown great improvement over the last few weeks, however we still have been unable to determine the cause of his illness," Professor Dumbledore said.  
  
"Is he going to be okay?" Harry asked, concerned. "I mean, this is something that can be cured, right?"  
  
Dumbledore met his gaze evenly, pausing a moment before replying.  
  
"I hope so."  
  
Harry felt the knot in his stomach tighten. Another worry to add to his growing list.  
  
"Shouldn't we at least consider the possibility," Sirius spoke up, "that the reason he isn't getting well is because of Gazten? She seems to be the only person here that has any clue as to how to treat him, do we know for a fact that's what she's doing?" He was looking at Dumbledore, a determined expression on his face.  
  
The headmaster sighed inaudibly before turning to Sirius.  
  
"After speaking with Allison and Hagrid I feel there is no reason to doubt her intentions, I've explained this to you and I stand by my decision. You are entitled to your opinions, but I will not argue about this any longer."  
  
Sirius appeared very much ready to continue the argument, but held whatever he had to say in, with obvious effort.  
  
"So you did talk with Professor Gazten then?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore replied. "Professor Gazten was quite eager to answer a few of my questions earlier this morning."  
  
"Were any of them about Percy?" Ron asked immediately. "From what I saw yesterday it seemed like she knew a lot more than we did."  
  
"Oh you got that impression too?" Sirius asked pointedly before the headmaster could reply.  
  
Harry threw his godfather a questioning look. Why did he seem so very distrustful towards Gazten when Dumbledore obviously felt the complete opposite?  
  
"Yes, she did in fact recognize what happened to Percy, and why he was acting so strangely," Dumbledore replied to Ron, ignoring Sirius' comment.  
  
Ron and Ginny looked anxiously at the headmaster, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"What we do know at this time," Dumbledore began, "is that Percy was not acting of his own free will, someone was manipulating him, using him to get to you." He looked at Harry as he finished speaking.  
  
"Why?" Harry asked, feeling both nervous and relieved that his suspicions were correct. He had hated thinking Percy actually harbored those feeling towards him. "I didn't understand his questions at all."  
  
"Whomever he was referring to, unfortunately, is still a mystery to us," Dumbledore replied. "We are doing everything we can to find out."  
  
"Well why can't we just ask him?" Ron asked, confused. "I mean, we know he was being controlled, but not anymore, right? Once you found out.I mean.he's back to being.himself again, isn't he?" He looked at the headmaster, earnestly.  
  
Dumbledore's expression became very grim before he spoke again.  
  
"Your brother has not spoken a word since we found him, and it doesn't seem he will be doing so any time soon."  
  
"What?" Ginny asked, weakly.  
  
"Why not?" Ron asked, trying to keep his voice steady.  
  
Harry felt his heart aching looking at his two friends, and one glance at Hermione showed she felt the same. He felt terribly guilty that they were being put through this, and it was all because of him.  
  
"The person that is controlling your brother still has a hold over him, which they are only using to keep him silent. For the moment, it appears they have abandoned using him to get the information they want," Dumbledore said. "By making sure he doesn't speak, their identity will remain a mystery to us."  
  
"Isn't there anything we can do to break it?" Hermione asked. "There are so many counter spells that could be used."  
  
"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Sirius interrupted her. "But this magic is not from our realm, apparently, or so the great Gazten tells us."  
  
"Sirius, please." Dumbledore began.  
  
"No Albus," Sirius interrupted again. "I can't let this go, not where Harry is involved, and in such a dangerous situation."  
  
The two men looked at each other evenly, while the four students watched, fascinated and uneasy. Dumbledore and Sirius had had their disagreements, but this felt different to them. Finally Harry couldn't take the silence any longer.  
  
"Sirius, what are you so worried about?" he asked, looking from his godfather, to Dumbledore and back again. "Can someone please tell us what's going on?"  
  
"She's not like us, is she?" Hermione asked and Sirius looked up sharply at her question before looking back to the headmaster.  
  
"Please," he began, "we need to tell them what she is."  
  
Dumbledore seemed to consider this for a moment, before nodding once.  
  
"Yes, it is probably best that they are aware," he said to Sirius before turning to the students. "This is to stay between us, so please be careful to think before you repeat anything said here today."  
  
He waited for the four of them to nod their agreement, before continuing.  
  
"You are correct Miss. Granger, Professor Gazten is not the same kind of witch as you are Miss. Weasley here is. She comes from a place called Faerun."  
  
"Faerun? Where is that?" Hermione asked, to Harry's surprise. If any of them would've known about something like this it would've been her.  
  
"Faerun is farther away than most wizards will ever dare travel," Dumbledore began. "It is a land few of us have seen, and of those few only a handful have returned to tell of their experiences. Even the most skilled wizards would be entering Faerun at great risk to their lives. There are creatures that are far more dangerous than any you will ever encounter here."  
  
Why would anyone stay there then?" Ginny asked, shocked. "It sounds positively horrid."  
  
"Those that are born in Faerun, have powers that differ greatly from those we were born with here. They are taught differently as well. While we try to show you the full scope of your abilities here, they like to find what they are strongest in, and focus on that. So for example if you were particularly gifted with fire, you would be taught to hone those skills above all others. The advantage being your ability to handle fire would most likely be greater than any other magic user you might come across, but your other natural abilities would be diminished and you would have little control over them."  
  
"So, if Professor Gazten is from there, that means she must have been taught like that, right?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, indeed she has," Dumbledore replied.  
  
"What was she strongest in?" Hermione asked.  
  
"In Faerun, Allison is what is known as a Paladin. She has the ability to heal almost any ailment, and no disease will ever have an affect on her as she was born with the ability to heal herself."  
  
"That's why she's caring for Snape," Hermione said, appearing deep in thought.  
  
"Quite right, Miss. Granger," Dumbledore replied.  
  
"Then why isn't he well again?" Sirius asked. "If she has these divine healing powers, why is it so hard to heal him? Unless, she really isn't doing that at all, don't you see? Something about this situation doesn't feel right."  
  
"I will agree with that, something does not feel right at all," Dumbledore said. "But I don't believe it has anything to do with Allison. Severus' condition has improved considerably since she has begun to treat him."  
  
"I have a question," Harry spoke up before his godfather had a chance to continue the argument. The both of them turned their attention to him and Dumbledore nodded for Harry to go on.  
  
"Why is it so important to keep this a secret?"  
  
Dumbledore was silent for a few moments before replying.  
  
"Sixteen years ago, Voldemort had managed to ally himself with a great many dangerous creatures of Faerun. Not all of the inhabitants are evil, but those that are were quite willing to side with Voldemort. They wanted nothing from him, as all they cared about was being given the chance to cause terror and pain to the people in our realm."  
  
"How many of them were there?" Ron asked. "Helping him, I mean."  
  
"They greatly outnumbered us, that is certain. The only reason we are not living under Voldemort's rule right now, is because the creatures of Faerun are unable to get out without a struggle."  
  
"You mean they have to fight their way out?" Harry asked.  
  
"In a way, yes," Dumbledore replied. "Those that are born there must use a great deal of power to travel through the barrier into our dominion and even if they are very strong they still would require an escort. Someone here would need to see them through safely."  
  
"Then why did so many of them join with Voldemort?" Hermione asked. "It sounds like it would be too much trouble to escort all of them through."  
  
"Exactly, Miss Granger. It would be more time and energy than Voldemort was willing to put forth. From what we know, he had been working on a way to open their barrier. It only affects them, as we can enter and exit as we choose. The thought of being able to run free in our realm was too tempting for many of these creatures to refuse, and so they gladly sided with Voldemort."  
  
"Did he ever figure it out then?" Harry asked. "Does he know how to let them through?"  
  
"I don't believe he does, not yet at least," Dumbledore replied. "He had some of his death eaters escort a few of the stronger ones through, but still had not destroyed the barrier by the time he was beaten, by you."  
  
Harry averted his eyes, slightly embarrassed. In all honesty, he felt he had little to do with the fact that Voldemort was stopped that night. Now that he knew about Lunis, he believed even more it was just a lucky coincidence he survived.  
  
"When he returned," the headmaster continued. "I'm sure he was eager to continue with his search for a way through. Since he hasn't yet broken the barrier, we believe he still hasn't found how."  
  
"And.you said Professor Gazten is from Faerun too?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes Mr. Weasley, and that is the reason for the secrecy. While many students here would not recognize the name Faerun, their parents would indeed. If any of them were to discover where she was from, it would cause unnecessary panic, which we want to avoid especially now. Too many other things require our attention."  
  
"That's also the reason," Sirius spoke up. "That we can't trust her."  
  
"Gazten is from the one place we know for certain is full of Voldemort's supporters, she could easily be one of them," Sirius explained.  
  
"We can't be sure of that Sirius," Dumbledore replied.  
  
"So we're going to just let her roam the halls freely until she does something to prove you wrong? Is that what it's gonna come to?" Sirius asked angrily.  
  
Dumbledore lowered his gaze before answering.  
  
"I strongly believe it will not come to that at all. From what we know of the Faerunians that allied themselves with Voldemort, Paladins did not make up a large number of them."  
  
"How did Professor Gazten get here?" Hermione asked, interrupting the argument. "You said that anyone born there would need an escort, right?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Yes that is correct and that is exactly what happened. It was Hagrid who brought her across."  
  
"So is that where Hagrid has been for all this time?" Harry asked. "In Faerun?"  
  
"He spent a short time in Faerun, but not for his entire journey," Dumbledore replied shortly. The way he said it made Harry not ask about Hagrid's trip any further, for he could tell the headmaster wasn't going to be answering those questions.  
  
"Um.not to change the subject, but about my brother." Ron began. "Since Professor Gazten knows what's wrong with him, can she do anything to help?"  
  
Sirius snickered loudly, but didn't say anything after a warning look from Dumbledore.  
  
"When we find who is doing this to your brother, than she will be able to help him, yes."  
  
"Can we see him?" Ginny asked, hopefully.  
  
Dumbledore nodded gently.  
  
"Yes you may see him, he is currently in the hospital wing. Please remember he will not answer you, and it is very likely he won't even know you're there. The spell over him is very powerful."  
  
"Only because the person that is controlling him is very close," Sirius said quickly. "We know that Gazten is capable of doing this."  
  
"We certainly do not," Dumbledore interrupted sternly. "Being from Faerun does not make her evil, nor does the fact that she has access to different magic than we do. There are certain things we are capable of that she would be weak in, and there is our balance."  
  
He turned back to the students before continuing.  
  
"If you would like I will accompany you down to the hospital wing," he began. "But I will not be able to stay, as I have put off contacting the ministry long enough. They must be notified of Percy's condition."  
  
The headmaster's last statement caused Harry to remember his letter from Cho and he stood up abruptly.  
  
"Wait, you can't tell them anything!" he said speaking quickly. "We can't trust them either!"  
  
Dumbledore and Sirius regarded Harry with uncertainty, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"I got a letter yesterday," Harry began, "from Cho. She's in trouble." He pulled the letter out of his pocket and held it out to the headmaster. Dumbledore and Sirius leaned over it and read it together.  
  
"This complicates matters," Dumbledore said as he finished reading. He looked up, a grim expression on his face.  
  
"We have to find Cho immediately," Sirius said, looking from the letter to Dumbledore and back again.  
  
"Yes I agree," Dumbledore replied. "But I will still need to contact the ministry."  
  
"But why?" Harry asked, shocked. "This proves Thurston lied to you!"  
  
"We don't know that yet, though I would have to say I agree with you. However, we still need to inform them of Percy's condition, as they will become suspicious when he is no longer reporting to them. Mr. Weasley will also need to be notified."  
  
"Can't we just tell Arthur?" Sirius asked. "At least for the time being? Let's wait until Thurston calls on us and asks about Percy. If we can get more information before that happens, then it'll work to our advantage."  
  
Dumbledore seemed to consider this for a moment before replying.  
  
"That may work, for at least a few days," he began. "But if we can find no answers in that time I will have to tell them about Percy. If we let it go too long he may try to send someone else here, which is another unnecessary obstacle that I would rather avoid."  
  
He looked again at the letter, carefully reading it over, before turning back to Harry.  
  
"Do you have any idea where Miss. Chang may have gone Harry? Someplace she might've mentioned to you?"  
  
Harry shook his head in dismay.  
  
"I can't think of anyplace," he said slowly.  
  
Dumbledore nodded gravely.  
  
"Very well."  
  
"I'll find her," Sirius spoke up almost immediately. Harry looked at his godfather, beginning to feel hopeful again. Dumbledore turned to him as well.  
  
"You understand there isn't much time?"  
  
Sirius nodded firmly.  
  
"Completely, Marzia and I will go together, we'll find her before the week is out."  
  
He turned to his godson and smiled reassuringly.  
  
"Will Marzia be okay though?" Harry asked. "She looked like she would be in bed for a month last time I saw her."  
  
Sirius grinned, proudly.  
  
"When I get back, the three of us can have a talk, but trust me, she'll be fine."  
  
He looked once more to the headmaster, waiting.  
  
"Then please, make haste Sirius. Send an owl for anything you might need, and keep in contact as often as possible."  
  
Sirius nodded curtly, before heading for the door, but Harry moved to block him. He stood looking at his godfather, seeming uncertain, before finally speaking.  
  
"Bring her back Sirius.please."  
  
"I promise you Harry. She'll be alright." He put a hand on Harry's shoulder, and pulled his godson into a hug. As they separated, he nodded good-bye to the others and swiftly went through the door.  
  
Harry turned to his friends again, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. He knew Sirius would pull through, he had to.  
  
"Let's go see Percy."  
  
The four students and the headmaster walked to the hospital wing in silence, each of them deep in thought.  
  
Harry was concerned for Cho, more than he could say, and fervently hoped Sirius and Marzia would find her quickly. But there were so many other questions he still had, and probably would have asked Dumbledore about, if he'd had more time.  
  
What he wanted to know above all else, was what exactly Gazten was capable of. She obviously had amazing healing abilities, but was that where it ended? And what about the other inhabitants of Faerun? Dumbledore had referred to them as creatures several times and Harry got the impression they weren't human, but did that mean Gazten wasn't human as well?  
  
Then there was the mystery of where Hagrid had been for the last two years. He hadn't spent the entire time in Faerun, but then where else did he go? Did he meet anyone else besides Gazten? It was hard to believe he wouldn't have, but very plausible to think that those he did encounter wanted nothing to do with helping him. How could they expect people to willingly volunteer to go up against Voldemort? Especially knowing how few people did last time.  
  
His thoughts drifted back to Gazten, and to Percy as they came into view of the hospital wing. If Gazten was telling the truth, they had to find out who was controlling Percy. She had said the person must be close to have had such a hold over him and quite possibly, they were inside the school. He wondered if the person was someone he knew, and if they were still inside, or had left after last night.  
  
Then there were the questions about Neville, which was another matter entirely. His behavior was strange enough, now add to the fact that he seemed to be very well acquainted with Gazten, it was all very confusing. Harry had had no idea the two were so close, or if they hadn't been he didn't see how they could've become so in just two months. What was bothering him more than anything though, was how obvious it was that whatever Neville and Gazten were doing, it involved Harry. And as was usual, he wasn't being told nearly as much as he would like to know. The difference with this, however, was now he was keeping information from Dumbledore and Sirius that he, in truth, felt he should be telling them. It was enough to make him feel ill.  
  
Lastly, his thoughts drifted to Wormtail. He hadn't seen nor heard from him in a long while. This was, in truth, quite fine with him, but he did want to know how both Malfoy and Neville knew he was there. Did they overhear him talking about it, or could they see him as well?  
  
They reached the double doors of the hospital wing at last and pushed through them. Dumbledore brought them to the area where Percy was being looked after, before excusing himself. He wanted to contact Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to inform them of what had happened.  
  
Harry watched the headmaster go, fighting the urge to go after him, to get as many answers as possible. But knew Dumbledore had answered all the questions he was going to for now, so he stayed where he was until the headmaster was out of sight, before turning back to his friends and to Percy.  
  
The visit with Percy was a short one, as Madam Pomfrey didn't feel comfortable leaving them alone with him. She also didn't have time to spend waiting while they visited, as she was busy. So, after about an hour of Ron and Ginny talking to their brother and getting no response, Madam Pomfrey gently ushered them out of the hospital wing.  
  
"He looked sad," Ginny said as they walked back to the common room together, her brow furrowed in concern.  
  
"We have to find out who's doing this to him," Ron said evenly.  
  
"Dumbledore is working on that," Hermione began, placing a hand softly on Ron's tense arm. His hands were clenched into fists.  
  
"But he's also working on about a dozen other matters!" Ron said loudly. He looked at Hermione, realizing he'd just yelled at her, and hung his head in guilt.  
  
"I'm sorry," he began, "I just don't want to wait."  
  
"I'm sorry too," Hermione replied. "I can't say I know what you're going through but I can see how upset you are, both of you," she added, looking at Ginny.  
  
Ginny smiled weakly at Hermione, and nodded her thanks.  
  
"Well we're just going to have to look as well then, won't we?" Harry spoke up. The other three turned to look at him, Ron and Ginny were smiling, but Hermione looked uncertain.  
  
"Harry, do you really think." she began.  
  
"Hermione, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't want to do it," Harry cut her off. "Besides, I may not be related to Percy by blood, but I'm just as angry that anyone would do this just to.just." he trailed off, not wanting to say it.  
  
"It's not your fault Harry," Ginny spoke up. "You blame yourself for everything, and none of it is under your control."  
  
Harry nodded, unconvincingly.  
  
"We'll find them, whoever they are," he said at last.  
  
They finished the rest of the walk in silence and didn't bring up the subject again for the rest of the day. Having barely gotten any homework done over the weekend, due to events beyond their control, they spent the afternoon and most of the evening getting it all finished. As it was only the beginning of November, they didn't have too much work yet. But that was sure to change, as it always did.  
  
The week passed by slower than any so far, and Harry found himself increasingly concerned about Sirius, Marzia and Cho. He checked in with Dumbledore two and three times a day to see if there was any word. Most of the time, however, there was nothing, and when there was an owl, it was to let them know they were still looking. Harry was glad for those at least; the thought of losing any of them was unbearable.  
  
The end of the week came at last and Harry was on his way back from Dumbledore's office. It was early evening on Saturday and they hadn't received any word yet, he was almost sick with worry. He was pacing the halls trying to keep his mind occupied with anything else, when he heard someone behind him.  
  
Harry spun around to see Mel walking up behind him, though she still hadn't noticed him yet. She was reading over a paper in her hands and seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.  
  
"Where you heading?" he asked as she neared him.  
  
Mel, startled from not expecting to hear anyone around her, screamed and jumped nearly a foot in the air, dropping the paper she'd been holding.  
  
"Trying to kill me?" she asked, her hand over her heart. She was breathing fast, but grinning.  
  
Harry just laughed at her, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were wide, but she looked quite lovely just the same.  
  
"So," he began, bending down to pick up what she had dropped. He held it out to her. "Where were you going?"  
  
"Owlery," she answered, holding up the paper, which Harry could now see, was a letter. "Walk with me?"  
  
Harry nodded, smiling, and the two of them started off, side by side.  
  
"So what were you doing in this part of the school?" Mel asked. "It doesn't look like you're sending an owl."  
  
"Just walking, trying to think.or not think rather.about certain things," Harry answered. "I honestly didn't even realize I was near the owlery, guess I wasn't really paying attention."  
  
"Yeah well, I could say the same thing.you really gave me a scare you know," she said swatting him playfully on the arm.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he replied, grinning.  
  
"Well sure you didn't, but you enjoyed it," she said. He looked at her ready to protest but she continued quickly. "Come on, admit it. You were amused by my terror, don't deny it.I saw you laughing."  
  
"I wouldn't say terror.shock maybe?" he suggested, stroking his chin, stifling another bout of laughter.  
  
"And then you downplay my fear, how charming," Mel said, throwing her arms up.  
  
"Oh you're right, poor thing, here let me help you," he said moving closer to her. He took one of her arms in his as he continued, "Are you too weak? Should I carry you? I can't imagine what it must've been like!"  
  
"Cut it out!" she yelled cheerfully, elbowing him with the arm he was holding. She began giggling at the hurt expression he gave her.  
  
"But.but I was only trying to help."  
  
"You're mental.you know that, don't you?" she asked trying to keep her laughter under control.  
  
"Laughing at my pain.I see the tables have turned." he said dejectedly.  
  
"Stop!" Mel cried, pulling her arm away and clutching her stomach. She was laughing so hard it was hurting and Harry looked down at her grinning.  
  
"Maybe you do need to be carried," he joked.  
  
"Not a chance, especially not by you," she replied jovially.  
  
"What did I do to deserve that?" Harry asked, in mock surprise.  
  
"You're mental, remember? Never let a mental person carry you.um.because."  
  
Harry shook his head, smiling and the two continued walking.  
  
"So, do you need to talk about anything?" she asked, meeting his eyes. "Like what was bothering you earlier?"  
  
Harry dropped her gaze and looked away.  
  
"Not especially, I was trying not to think about it."  
  
He had actually succeeded in forgetting, even though just for a short while, for which he was quite glad.  
  
"Who are you sending the letter to?" he asked, changing the subject.  
  
Before Mel could reply, they both heard a voice call out from behind them and turned to see who was there.  
  
"There you are!" Hermione yelled running up to them from down the hall. "I've been looking everywhere! They're back and they found her Harry, they found Cho!"  
  
"Is she alright?" Harry asked immediately his heart leaping into his throat. "Where is she?"  
  
"She's in the hospital wing." Hermione began, catching her breath.  
  
"What?" Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Why, what happened.?"  
  
"Harry," Hermione said firmly, interrupting him. "She's alive and I don't know what happened yet. They've just returned and the first thing I did was come to find you."  
  
Harry looked at her for just a second before nodding impatiently.  
  
"I have to go then, to see her," he said beginning to move past Hermione. He took only one step before remembering Mel, and spun around quickly.  
  
"I'm sorry for cutting this short," he said, "but."  
  
"You don't have to explain anything," Mel interrupted. "Go, don't worry about it, I guess I know what was bothering you now." She smiled at him reassuringly.  
  
"Thank you," he said, nodding before turning and heading back down the hall, Hermione at his heels. The two of them ran all the way to the hospital wing, mostly because Harry refused to slow down. They pushed through the double doors together and Hermione led him to where Cho was sleeping.  
  
"She's so pale." Harry remarked looking at Cho's still form.  
  
"But her breathing is steady," Hermione said.  
  
Harry didn't reply, but nodded once. He moved closer to the bed and knelt down next to his girlfriend. She was in fact breathing evenly and strong, which was a great relief. Though he didn't like the pale color of her skin. He pulled one of her hands out from under the sheets, holding it in his own before noticing something that made his stomach lurch. Her wrist was burned, in much the same way that Ron's neck had been after Percy's attack.  
  
He stood up quickly and moved around to the other side of the bed.  
  
"What are you.?" Hermione began from where she was standing a few feet from the foot of the bed. Harry didn't answer, but instead pulled her other hand out from under the sheet, to see an identical marking. He gently raised Cho's wrist to show Hermione.  
  
"Oh no." she gasped. "Do you think it was the same person who." she began but was cut off by the sound of the doors to the room swinging open.  
  
Ron and Ginny entered the room, quickly, but stopped abruptly when they noticed the other two were there.  
  
"Nice of you to tell us you found him." Ron muttered, looking at Hermione.  
  
"Well I didn't know where you were, and besides I knew you'd check back here," she replied.  
  
Ginny had stepped up next to Harry and put a hand on his arm, about to say something when she noticed the burn on Cho's wrist and inhaled sharply.  
  
"That's exactly like." she began looking from Cho to Ron and back again.  
  
"It is, the same type of burn," Harry said.  
  
"Is that what my neck looked like?" Ron asked in disgust, earning him a jab in the ribs from Hermione.  
  
"What.?" he asked, but she just shook her head at him. The four of them looked up as they heard the doors open again, this time Dumbledore entered the room with Sirius and Marzia.  
  
"Sirius," Harry said as his godfather came up to him. "Are you alright? Will Cho be okay? Where's Madam Pomfrey, shouldn't someone be here, doing something.anything.her wrists, they're burnt.what happened?"  
  
"Harry, it's alright, Cho will be fine," Sirius replied.  
  
"But." Harry began.  
  
"I promise you," Sirius cut him off. "She will be alright."  
  
Harry looked into his godfather's eyes for a long moment, before nodding slowly and sinking into a nearby chair.  
  
"Allison will be here shortly," Dumbledore began, "to see that is indeed the case."  
  
Sirius' gaze darkened for a moment but he didn't say anything. He and Marzia took seats on the opposite side of the bed from Harry.  
  
"While we are waiting, however, it would be most helpful if you would tell us what happened."  
  
~SIRIUS AND MARZIA'S POV - ONE WEEK AGO~  
  
"Where do you want to start?" Marzia asked. Both she and Sirius were heading away from Hogwart's, moving as quickly as possible on brooms, to the Hogsmeade station. Once there, they would be able to apparate to their destination.  
  
"The best place would be Cho's office at the ministry, if you think you can get us in," Sirius replied as they sped along.  
  
Marzia laughed, knowingly.  
  
"You do remember who you're talking to, right?" she asked with a wink. "We're as good as there."  
  
Sirius smiled widely.  
  
"That's what I thought you'd say."  
  
When they reached Hogsmeade at last, the two of them dismounted and walked quickly to the nearest shop, Sirius did his best to ignore any strange looks from the shoppers milling around. It was more widely known that his name had been cleared, but some people still looked upon him, quite obviously, as a criminal.  
  
"Just ignore them," Marzia whispered taking one of his hands in her own and squeezing it reassuringly.  
  
"I know," he replied, smiling back at her. They went into the shop and asked the clerk to look after the brooms for them until they returned, before exiting the store.  
  
"Ready?" he asked.  
  
"Let's go," she answered.  
  
The two of them stood facing each other one minute and the next they had disappeared from everyone's view. They apparated just outside the ministry and exchanged glances, before heading up the stairs to the front door together.  
  
"Good afternoon," the receptionist said automatically when she heard the door open, but when she looked up to see who had entered, her expression changed. She had shoulder length light brown hair and couldn't have been older then 25. Her skin was very tan and Sirius suspected she must be one of the minister's daughters, as her attitude had seemed quite nonchalant. "What are you doing here?" she asked, standing up and Sirius honestly couldn't tell if she was referring to Marzia or himself. She kept looking from one to the other, a mix of anger and fear on her face.  
  
"We need to get into Miss Chang's office," Marzia said in a demanding tone.  
  
"W-what for?" the receptionist, who Sirius saw by the nameplate on her desk was called Jessica Taylor, asked defiantly.  
  
"I'm afraid that's none of your business," Marzia replied crisply.  
  
"You think so?" Jessica asked. "Well I'll just make a quick call." she began reaching for the phone. Marzia was quicker though; she reached her arm out quickly and slammed the phone back into its cradle as Jessica had just begun to lift it. With her free hand, she reached into her robes and pulled out what appeared to be an I.D. card.  
  
"This is all you need to let us past," Marzia said evenly. "Now, do we still have a problem here?"  
  
Jessica looked at the card carefully before meeting Marzia's gaze. No, no problem at all," she replied briskly.  
  
"Good," Marzia said. She stepped past the desk and motioned for Sirius to follow her, Jessica not taking her eyes off of them as they went.  
  
"She's going to call the second we're out of earshot you know." Sirius said as they headed down the first hallway.  
  
"No she isn't, her phone won't work anymore," Marzia said throwing him a sly grin. Sirius shook his head, a bemused expression on his face.  
  
"I didn't realize you were so unwelcome here," he said as they turned the corner and began up a set of stairs.  
  
"I am and I'm not," Marzia replied. "Depends on who you ask."  
  
"Well don't refer anyone to Jessica Taylor." Sirius commented.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't," Marzia said laughing. "There it is," she continued pointing. "Cho's office."  
  
They neared the door and Marzia glanced around quickly before grasping the handle, though she didn't need to even turn it, as the door was already ajar. The two exchanged curious glances before Sirius stepped slightly in front of Marzia.  
  
"Be ready," he said quietly, pulling his wand out. He hesitated for only a second, before pushing the door open quickly, and stepping in.  
  
Sirius looked around, not sure what to expect, but lowered his wand soon enough.  
  
"We're not the only ones looking for Cho, it would seem," Marzia commented as she stepped up beside him.  
  
The office was in complete disarray. Someone had been through every square inch of it without bothering to put anything back in its place. The two of them exchanged glances before beginning to sift through all the papers strewn about. The oversized desk that was in the middle of the room had been flipped onto its side.  
  
"Did they think she'd be hiding underneath it?" Sirius asked, surveying the desk skeptically.  
  
"Who knows," Marzia replied kneeling down to look through the drawers of a file cabinet that didn't have much left in it. "We don't know how long ago this happened, or even.if she was here, when it did."  
  
If she was or not, I doubt very much we're going to find anything to help us here," Sirius said. "Whoever did this most likely found what they were looking for and took it, and if they didn't it probably means it wasn't here to begin with. Either way, I don't think we should waste time going through this mess when it most likely won't help."  
  
"If not here, then where?" Marzia asked, looking over her shoulder at him.  
  
"Well if she took the time to let Harry know she was in trouble, I'd bet she did the same for her parents, and possibly even told them where she was going."  
  
"Of course," Marzia said as she stood up, "And if she didn't tell them they'd still have a better idea of where she'd be, or at least be able to point us in the right direction."  
  
She started for the door again.  
  
"Let's go pull her file, it'll have their address on it."  
  
"Right," Sirius nodded, following her back into the hall.  
  
They walked through the halls quickly as Marzia led the way to the employee files and almost crashed head on with someone who was just exiting the room, holding a small packet of papers. Marzia quickly stepped back, bumping into Sirius as the person in front of them regained their balance. It was a man about the same height as Sirius who was wearing a dark black cloak. The hood that was over his head slid off slightly when he jumped back and that was enough for Sirius to recognize him.  
  
"You." Sirius spat bringing up his wand.  
  
The cloaked man didn't waste any time, he pulled the hood over his face and lunged back into the file room, slamming the door into Sirius as he tried to follow, and causing him to almost knock Marzia over as he stepped back.  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked as he pulled himself up straight.  
  
"Bet you anything that was Cho's file," he snarled pushing the door open again. The two of them barged into the room, only to find there was an exit on the opposite end. With a quick glance at one another, they ran through the door in front of them, and down the hall after the cloaked man.  
  
They ran through the halls blindly, stopping only to listen for the sound of the cloaked man's footfalls so they could catch up to him.  
  
"Who is he?" Marzia whispered at one point when they took off up a flight of stairs as Sirius thought he caught sight of him.  
  
"Why is this place deserted?" Sirius asked in exasperation, ignoring the question. "You'd think by now we'd have run into someone else." He looked around anxiously, hoping to catch sight of anyone as the two of them burst through the doors at the top of the stairs.  
  
"I was wondering that myself," Marzia replied. They walked around as quickly and quietly as possible through the deserted corridors.  
  
"So, are you gonna answer my question?" Marzia asked again, pointing her lit wand down a dark hallway.  
  
"I'm sorry," Sirius replied glancing over his shoulder at her. "What did you ask again?"  
  
"You recognized the man we're after, who is he? Is he a death eater?" she asked.  
  
Sirius' expression changed to one of disgust and hatred; he began grinding his teeth.  
  
"His name is Gridman, he's the one who tried to kill Harry the night of the opening feast."  
  
"But I heard he was caught, before he could even get out of the school," Marzia said, confused.  
  
"He was," Sirius replied, "though it was the ministry who O.K.'d his presence at the school in the first place, when we believed we were getting a student teacher. So when we turned him over to the ministry upon being caught.well, let's just say this doesn't come as too much of a surprise to me right now. After all the times the ministry has denied their involvement and lied about things."  
  
"Shh!" Marzia hissed, cutting him off and holding up her hand. "I heard something," she whispered.  
  
They stood silently looking around for any sign of movement and straining to hear even the slightest of movements.  
  
"There's nothing past this hallway," Marzia said quietly as she began walking. "He has nowhere to go."  
  
"Marvelous," Sirius replied as he followed her, wand outstretched. There were three doors at the end of the hall, all closed. The two of them exchanged glances, before Sirius reached out his hand for the first door, ever so slowly.  
  
He thrust the door open quickly, scanning the room with the light from the tip of his wand, but it was empty. There wasn't so much as a chair or file cabinet; just a baron room with a window on the right wall.  
  
"Stay here," he motioned with his hand to Marzia and she nodded her reply. He stepped carefully into the room, immediately turning to look behind the door, only to find cobwebs and dust. Walking over to the window, he peered out carefully, prepared for anything, but again came up empty. There was a narrow alley but there was no one in it.  
  
"Nothing," he said, reemerging from the room.  
  
"Two more," Marzia said. "One each?"  
  
Sirius considered for a moment before replying.  
  
"Alright, but be careful."  
  
Marzia flashed him a wide smile.  
  
"Am I ever not?"  
  
"Do you really want me to answer that?" he asked, wide eyed.  
  
"Not right now, no," she replied with a grin. "I'll take the middle door."  
  
"Alright, scream if you need anything, even if you aren't sure, got it?"  
  
"Yes dad." she muttered, opening the door. He watched her disappear into the darkness before turning to the last one and pushing it open. Once again, he was greeted by nothing. Dust and dirt, but the only sign of life were the spiders in the far corner of the ceiling. This room didn't even have a window. He walked around it once, quickly, before heading back out to the hall, where Marzia stood waiting for him.  
  
"Not there?" she asked incredulously, Sirius shook his head.  
  
"Not a trace."  
  
"Well.how?" There's no way out down here and I'm sure he's the one we were following all this way.  
  
"Well either we lost him somewhere before this floor, or there is another way out from here. In any case we better head back the way we came, if there's any chance he's still in the building." he trailed off, sighing, "well I suppose we should warn someone, even if they most likely do already know."  
  
They set off at a run and headed back down the stairs, when they reached the file room again, Sirius decided to check, just in case Cho's file wasn't the one Gridman had taken.  
  
"Nope," he said, finishing his search. "It's gone. This doesn't make any sense. Harry's letter was dated back from September and they're only now looking for her file? It sounded like they were already after her by the way she wrote it."  
  
"Well the only way we're gonna find out is to find Gridman, so let's get going," Marzia said. "Let's split here and meet in the lobby, if there's any chance he's still in here, we'll at least cover more ground that way."  
  
"I don't know." Sirius began.  
  
"I'm not a helpless child Sirius," Marzia said evenly, "I am quite capable of handling one death eater."  
  
"I wasn't saying." he began, then stopped, shaking his head. "Look, I realize you are very able to take care of yourself, this guy just gives me a bad feeling."  
  
"After what happened to Harry I can understand that completely," she interrupted. "But what we're doing now is wasting time, so, if you don't mind."  
  
"Alright, I'll take the way we came in from the lobby," Sirius said, giving in.  
  
"Fine with me," Marzia agreed. "Meet you there." She left the file room and turned right, and Sirius waited just a moment before turning in the opposite direction and setting off down the hall.  
  
Sirius made it back to the lobby without running into a single person. Where is everyone? How is it possible to have been here for so long and not meet anyone except the receptionist and a death eater? You'd think at least one minister might be futzing around or something.  
  
As he entered the lobby, he saw Jessica was still at her station, and she looked up as he entered.  
  
"You've been gone for quite a while, what took so long?" she asked and Sirius was a bit taken back. He'd expected her to react similar to the way she treated Marzia, but there wasn't even a hint of coldness in her tone.  
  
"We had a problem," he began, "Do you know of a man named Gridman? He would've been taken into custody by the ministry at the beginning of September."  
  
"You mean Gus?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"Er.who?"  
  
"Gus. Jason Gridman. He was the one they arrested for attempted murder right around then."  
  
"Sounds like him," Sirius said anxiously.  
  
"He worked here, for a little over a year, I knew him pretty well. I was shocked when I found out." she trailed off.  
  
"Umm, I don't mean to interrupt.but.I really need to find him and if you didn't see him then I should get going."  
  
"Well, I did see a man leave here about five minutes ago," Jessica said. "But I didn't get a close look at him, he had his face covered by a black hood."  
  
"That's probably him!" Sirius exclaimed. "Where did he go?"  
  
"He went outside, but after that I don't know, wasn't paying much attention.  
  
"And you didn't get even a small glimpse of him, when he came in maybe?"  
  
"I don't remember seeing him come in, and it's not my job to I.D. people as they leave so no, I'm sorry," she replied flatly.  
  
"Alright, I know, sorry," he said quickly. He glanced around impatiently, wondering what could be taking Marzia so long, now that he was quite sure Gridman was no longer inside he wasn't too worried about her. Finally, he turned to Jessica again.  
  
"Remember the woman I came in with?" he began.  
  
"Yes," Jessica spat. "She broke my phone and I can't leave my desk until."  
  
"I'm sorry for that," Sirius interrupted, "and I'm sure she'll be glad to fix it when she comes down. Will you just tell her I went to look around town, for Gridman, and I'll meet her back here shortly?"  
  
Jessica sighed heavily, as if this was a very unwanted task.  
  
"Fine," she whined. "I'll tell her."  
  
"Thank you," Sirius said, before turning and heading through the door. Definitely a minister's daughter, he thought as he looked around through the crowd. No way they would hire someone so unprofessional otherwise, but what did she have against Marzia?  
  
He shook these thoughts from his head as he focused on finding Gridman. If all he had was a five-minute head start, there was a very good chance he was still in the town, but where Sirius had no idea. There were too many shops and small businesses that would be very easy to hide in, and even out on the streets you had a very large crowd for cover. So, when he spotted a tall man in a dark cloak, Sirius couldn't believe his luck, but he had to be sure.  
  
"Gus!" he cried out in the direction of the man, who flinched and looked over his shoulder upon hearing the name.  
  
Gotcha, Sirius thought as he saw Gridman spot him, and both men took off at a run.  
  
Sirius followed Gridman up the main street of the town, hoping that the crowd would thin out. He was afraid to use his wand for fear he might hit one of them, and that would be all he needed. Thurston would jump at the chance to have him thrown in jail, he was sure of it.  
  
He put on a burst of speed as he realized Gridman was lengthening the gap between them considerably, he was quite fast. But was forced to an abrupt halt when a carriage that was crossing in front of him stopped in his path. He skidded to a stop just short of slamming into it and barely managed to regain his balance before toppling over backwards. The passengers in the carriage stared out at him in surprise and fear, but he paid no attention, instead he ran to the end of it and back into the street, just in time to see Gridman mounting the steps to an ominous looking stone building at the very end of the street.  
  
At least it'll get us off the main drag, Sirius thought as he headed after him. When he reached the structure, he was a bit surprised to see the word 'Library' chiseled above the large double doors.  
  
Sirius took the steps two at a time and hesitated just a moment, before pushing one of the doors open cautiously, wand ready.  
  
His heart began to beat faster as he realized the library was not only enormous, but completely deserted.  
  
"Lumos," he whispered, lighting the tip of his wand. He aimed the beam slowly across the room, alert for any signs of movement, all the while keeping his ears pricked for any sound.  
  
After illuminating every inch of space he could reach, he took a few careful steps forward, not having the slightest idea where to start. He looked up at the cathedral ceiling, which had to be at least thirty feet tall. It would take the entire day to search this place, and doing it alone was most likely going to accomplish nothing. If he were a few floors up and Gridman was far enough away, he'd never hear his movements, and he could easily escape.  
  
Suddenly, the he heard a noise behind him, and spun around to find Marzia coming through the doorway, as quietly as possible.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he whispered, "I asked that girl to tell you I'd meet you back at."  
  
"Number one," she cut him off, holding up her hand. "I don't listen to anything Jessica has to say. Number two, did you really, truly believe I'd sit there twiddling my thumbs while you were off having all this fun?" She smirked at him playfully as he shook his head.  
  
"What am I going to do with you?" he asked, grinning.  
  
"Hmm.I'll have to get back to you on that," she replied before taking on a serious tone. "But right now, we have a thief to catch. Any idea where he might be?"  
  
"No, just that he's in here.hey, wait a minute. How did you know I was in here?" he asked, confused.  
  
"Are you kidding?" she asked, incredulously. "Every person out there watched the two of you tearing up the street like madmen, all I had to do was ask which way you went."  
  
"Well if I hadn't been cut off at one point, I might've been a bit closer to our friend Gus here, and seen where."  
  
A tremendous bang drowned out the rest of his sentence and the two of them looked above to see a bright purple light coming out of one of the aisles of books on the third floor.  
  
"Bingo," Marzia said as she and Sirius exchanged a quick glance, before they both took off for the stairs.  
  
They reached the third floor in a matter of seconds and headed straight for the strange glow. Turning into the aisle, they both came to a sudden stop at the sight in front of them.  
  
Gridman was standing, eyes closed, in the center of a large violet sphere that was flowing with what looked like electric currents, but they were black.  
  
"What is that?" Sirius asked in awe.  
  
"He's getting away," Marzia replied through clenched teeth.  
  
"No he's not!" Sirius hissed, charging forward.  
  
"Wait!" Marzia cried, reaching out to stop him, but it was too late, Sirius had moved too quickly and unexpectedly. His hands came in contact with the sphere and Gridman's eyes flew open. They were as black as the currents coursing the surface of the glowing orb.  
  
"Let go," Marzia said with undisguised worry, coming up next to Sirius.  
  
"I can't," he replied, trying to pry his hands away, but they were caught, as if the sphere was made of glue. They watched as Gridman stepped forward from the center of the circle, moving slowly towards Sirius.  
  
Marzia tore her eyes away and took hold of Sirius' arm, she began pulling with all her strength, but it wouldn't budge.  
  
"C'mon, you have to try harder, move!" she yelled and Sirius didn't argue. He heard fear in her voice and believed she knew what was coming, and it was something he didn't care to find out about. The more he struggled, however, the deeper his hands became entangled, until they were submerged up to his wrists, and Gridman was standing directly opposite him. He lifted a hand slowly towards Sirius' and extended his finger, smiling all the while.  
  
"Don't." Marzia whispered fiercely and Gridman hesitated, meeting her gaze. He looked at her indignantly for a moment, before the smile returned to his face. Giving the smallest of shrugs, he plunged his hand, finger outstretched, into the gooey substance. He seemed to be able to move through it with greater ease than Sirius, who was watching in horror and fascination.  
  
Less then ten seconds passed, but it felt like an eternity, watching Gridman weave his hand through the muck, until at last his finger brushed Sirius' left hand.  
  
For a moment, Sirius felt nothing, literally; his hand went completely numb. The feeling began to creep up his arm and soon was quickly spreading throughout his entire body. He tried to talk, but found he couldn't, everything had stopped moving and he felt his knees begin to buckle and it was getting hard to breathe.  
  
As Gridman pulled his hand back inside the sphere, Sirius felt the pressure that had been holding him there release and his strength left him. He crumpled to the floor, shaking, his head throbbing, trying desperately to get his breathing under control, but nothing was working.  
  
He could vaguely see Marzia's concerned face floating in and out of view as his vision blurred. She was talking to him, asking him something, but he couldn't make it out. It began to get very bright and his head was bursting with pain, when at last he could hold out no longer, and slipped mercifully into darkness. 


	10. Chapter 10

When Sirius opened his eyes some time later, he felt very disoriented. He realized immediately that he was in a bed, but when he pushed himself slowly into a sitting position and took a glance at his surroundings, he had no idea where he was.  
  
The pain in his head that he remembered all too well, was now only a dull ache, and his vision and feeling had completely returned to him.  
  
Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he got shakily to his feet. His strength, it seemed, still wasn't up to par. Nevertheless, he began to explore the room he was in. It was very bland, nothing special, white walls with the paint cracking and peeling. The sheets on the bed were faded and dull. An ugly orange armchair and a couch were across from the bed in the middle of the room, facing each other. A rickety wooden coffee table between them. There were two doors on his left and another on his right, he made his way over to the closer of the ones on the left and turned the knob. Inside was an empty closet with a few bent hangers clinging to the wooden bar.  
  
Shuffling along a bit further, he swung open the next door to reveal the ridiculously small bathroom complete with rust stains under the sink and behind the toilet. He shut the door on the steady sound of dripping water, only to hear another being opened. He spun around awkwardly, catching his balance on the handle behind him, to see Marzia entering the room.  
  
"Why are you out of bed?" she asked immediately rushing over to him. Slipping her arm underneath his own and wrapping it around his back, she began to guide him back to the bed.  
  
"Nice to see you too," he remarked playfully, allowing himself to be led. "Where are we? What happened with Gridman?"  
  
"We are in the local wizarding motel," she began while lowering him down to the bed. "Gus managed to get away."  
  
"Dammit, We were so close."  
  
"And then you almost got yourself killed," she interrupted him. "What were you thinking?" she asked throwing her hands into the air. "Even watching those stupid muggle movies should tell you when you see a large electrical ball, you don't touch it!"  
  
"Never was a fan of those." he replied blandly.  
  
"Yeah, well maybe you should be. It's actually quite frightening how many things they come up with that are similar to our reality. Makes you wonder how much they really know."  
  
"Um," Sirius began laughing, "If you don't mind.Gridman, remember? What was that thing?"  
  
"Gus was inside a portal, that's how he escaped," Marzia said.  
  
"A portal?" Sirius asked confused.  
  
"Something you use to travel from one destination to another."  
  
"I know what it is," he said a bit impatiently. "What I'm wondering is why? Couldn't he just disapparate?"  
  
"I'm sure he could've," Marzia answered. "But he wasn't just traveling to any destination, he was traveling to another realm. You can't just apparate into those."  
  
"How can you be sure that's what he was doing?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Sirius, with all the places I've been sent over the years there's not much I haven't seen. No one uses portals anymore, not since they began allowing us to apparate. Portals are slow and take such energy to create that no one cares to bother with them."  
  
"So he traveled to another realm." Sirius mused.  
  
"With Cho's file," Marzia added.  
  
"I would bet everything I own he was going to Faerun."  
  
"There are other realms." Marzia put in.  
  
"It doesn't matter. We know that Faerun holds many followers of Voldemort of which he is one."  
  
"I still can't believe that," Marzia said, shaking her head. "I used to work with him, we were even on assignment together once. It's something I never would've expected from Gus and wish it weren't so."  
  
Sirius wanted to say something to her, but couldn't find anything nice to say about this man he hated so much. Finally, Marzia seemed to bring herself out of it.  
  
"We still have to find Cho's address," she said standing up. "If she is there she's in big trouble because whoever is looking for her has it."  
  
"Well where else can we look?" Sirius asked. "If absolutely necessary I can send word to Dumbledore that we need it, but I'd rather not worry them if we have another option."  
  
"We do," Marzia replied. "The ministry has several offices in England that are not open to the public, and each of them has a complete history of every ministry employee since it was established. They'll have it."  
  
"Will they be willing to give it to us?" Sirius asked, doubtfully.  
  
"I just this morning sent them an owl, all we can do is wait for a reply."  
  
"How far away are they located? Will it take long for the owl to make the trip?"  
  
"The closest one is about a day's flight, so by tomorrow night we should have our answer, which will give you enough time to recuperate," Marzia said pointedly.  
  
Sirius waved his hand casually, brushing off her last statement.  
  
"I'm fine, really," he said. "We should look for a quicker way."  
  
"Sirius, you most certainly are not fine, not even close. Do you have any idea what Gus did to you?"  
  
"Well, my I had a bad headache and I know I passed out." he trailed off.  
  
"And your body went numb, and you had trouble breathing," Marzia prompted. "I would think a 'bad headache' is a very loose term to describe the pain you were really feeling."  
  
"How do you know what I felt?" Sirius asked. "What did he do to me?"  
  
"He tried to steal your life-force," Marzia said.  
  
"By touching my hand with his finger?" Sirius asked, puzzled.  
  
"Yes, but it was the portal that allowed that to happen. They are full of energy that is very difficult to harness and that is another reason they are rarely used. If someone on the outside comes in contact with someone on the inside, the one on the outside doesn't always come out alive. The one on the inside, however, gets to live longer. Portals were almost outlawed because of this; there were a few corrupt wizards attempting to cheat death and would endeavor to lure unsuspecting victims near them while they were inside. While most wizards and witches were smart enough to realize and not go near them, muggles would have no idea, and the braver ones would rush to the aid of the seemingly trapped man or woman, only to have their lives stolen from them when they came in contact with them."  
  
"So.why weren't they outlawed?" Sirius asked incredulously.  
  
"Convenience," Marzia replied dryly. "No one liked walking when you could fly and no one wanted to fly great distances. So, they allowed the usage of Portals to continue. Luckily, when apparating was discovered, this problem lessened greatly. Anyone found creating a portal was immediately suspected of trying to cause harm and careful watch was kept over them wherever they went. The constant surveillance was enough to ensure they didn't steal anyone's energy, and portal usage is completely unheard of now."  
  
"Except if you're traveling to another realm," Sirius added darkly.  
  
"It's the only way to get to one," Marzia replied.  
  
"Okay so why didn't it work then? Why am I still alive?" Sirius asked.  
  
Marzia hesitated a moment, deep in thought before answering.  
  
"I couldn't tell you," she began. "When the process starts, you feel the place you were touched by the person go numb, and the feeling will spread through your body from there. You're head will hurt so badly that you can't believe it isn't split in two and your lungs will begin to fail, making it impossible to breathe."  
  
"Sounds about right," Sirius said with a shudder. "But, that still doesn't explain why I'm not dead."  
  
"And I can't explain it either, but," she said sitting down next to him and placing her arms affectionately around his neck, "the relief I felt when I realized it hadn't killed you.Sirius.don't ever scare me like that again." She buried her head in his chest as she finished her sentence and he reached around her, pulling her closer still, and leaning down to whisper in her ear.  
  
"I promise."  
  
Two days passed and Sirius was regaining his strength quickly. Marzia was on the alert to make sure he wasn't overdoing anything, and he was most grateful, even though he complained that he was fine and didn't need any help. He felt loved.and he loved being pampered.  
  
By the time the owl they'd been anxiously awaiting arrived that night, Sirius was almost completely well again.  
  
"At last," Marzia said catching sight of the tawny owl as it swooped in through the window. It circled around the ceiling once, before setting down on the arm of the couch. Marzia kneeled beside it, quickly untied the letter from its leg and dropped a few knuts into the sack fastened to it. She carefully opened the letter; not bothering to watch as the owl let out a squawk and flew back out the way it had come.  
  
"Well?" Sirius asked as he watched her scan the parchment. "What does it say?" He lifted himself out of the chair he'd been sitting in and crossed to where she was still kneeling.  
  
She turned around and stood up, smiling at him.  
  
"They gave it to us," she replied.  
  
"They did?" Sirius asked in amazement. "I wonder why."  
  
"Does it matter?" Marzia asked. "They gave us the address and now we can continue looking for Cho."  
  
"Must've been because you're an employee, or I'm sure they never would've."  
  
"Will you stop worrying?" Marzia cut him off. "Whatever the reason it's over and done, why dwell on it?"  
  
Sirius sighed and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, you're right. We should probably head off right away."  
  
"Not a chance mister," she interrupted, putting a hand firmly on his arm and giving him a knowing smile. "You need one more good night of sleep before we're going anywhere. Besides, it's pretty late, you don't want to arrive at Cho's house to two very tired parents who aren't expecting any visitors, do you?"  
  
Sirius chuckled.  
  
"Well honestly I'm fine, but that second reason of yours I'll buy, I wouldn't want to be woken up at this hour either, by strangers especially. But we're leaving first thing in the morning, got it?" he asked giving her a pointed look.  
  
"Agreed," she smiled.  
  
The next morning Sirius and Marzia were up very early. Marzia grabbed the letter and they both headed down to the office where Sirius paid for the room.  
  
"I can't believe this," Sirius said in disgust as they walked outside into the brilliant sunshine. "Ten Galleons for two nights? What do they think they are, the Flendyck? That was ridiculous, that room was barely livable."  
  
"Oh stop complaining," Marzia admonished swatting his arm. "It was all we needed for the two nights and believe me it's not even close to the Flendyck's prices. Try adding two more zeros to what you just paid."  
  
"Boy, I really have been gone long," Sirius said in shock. "You have to be wealthy just to stay in a little hole in the wall like that one," he said pointing at the grungy motel behind them, "and you have to be insanely rich for anything better. Nice to know the economy isn't suffering." he said rolling his eyes.  
  
"Alright already can we drop this?" Marzia asked sounding slightly annoyed. "I only picked that place for two reasons. One being if anyone were looking for us they most likely wouldn't check somewhere like that first. Two, all I cared about was getting you where you could rest, and this was the closest place."  
  
Sirius smirked at her and put his arm over her shoulder, pulling her to him.  
  
"It's so sweet when you get all maternal," he joked.  
  
"Oh shuddup." she said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Okay, now, lets see that address," Sirius said, becoming focused as they began to move up the street. "How far are we going?"  
  
"Not too far from here, ironically," Marzia replied, passing him the letter. "We probably could've asked some locals and gotten the address quicker. They're within walking distance."  
  
"You mean you could've," Sirius said. "I doubt anyone that recognizes me would be too willing to give me any information."  
  
"You're name has been cleared, I know you had a bad experience with Harry in Hogsmeade over the summer, but many more people are aware of what's happened now."  
  
"Are you even looking around us?" Sirius asked. "Do you see the suspicious glances I keep getting? The glares? No one trusts me, and after what was said about me, I can't blame them." He hung his head, remembering the day that had started this mess. Peter had gotten what he'd deserved at least, and it was fitting that Harry had something to do with it.  
  
"Okay, enough of that talk," Marzia said abruptly. "We can't change what's happened."  
  
"I know," Sirius spoke quickly, "but what if my presence here ruins things? What if Cho's parents refuse to see us just because I'm there?" He looked directly into her eyes before continuing. "Maybe you should go alone, they would trust you before they would me."  
  
"Don't be dumb," Marzia replied with a casual wave of her hand. "Your godson dates this girl for heaven's sake! She trusts you and I'm sure she's told her parents about you as well." Then she turned and pointed to her left. "Besides it's too late anyway, we're here."  
  
"Wow, that really was close," he said as they came to a halt. They had gone several blocks into a quaint neighborhood and were now standing in front of a small cottage. It was all light blue with white trim around the windows and a gorgeous flower garden in the front. Sirius and Marzia exchanged glances, before walking up to the front door.  
  
"Here goes nothing," Sirius said, slowly raising his hand. He hesitated a moment, his finger hovering, before finally pushing the doorbell.  
  
Sirius held his breath, waiting, until the door swung open slowly. A short woman that looked much like an older version of Cho, with black hair that was neatly tucked into a bun and deep brown eyes was standing in front of them, a curious look on her face.  
  
"Yes?" she said in a very tiny voice, looking back and forth from Sirius to Marzia. "Can I help you?"  
  
"We're sorry to bother you.Mrs. Chang, I presume?" Sirius spoke quickly, trying not to sound nervous even though his stomach was in knots. It didn't appear as if she recognized him yet but when it happened, he feared what her reaction would be.  
  
Mrs. Chang nodded once.  
  
"Yes I'm Carol Chang, and you are?" she asked.  
  
"My name is Sirius and this is Marzia," Sirius said avoiding his full name. "I know this is going to sound strange, but we're looking for your daughter, Cho. Has she been by recently?"  
  
"Why are you looking for Cho?" Carol asked, her brow furrowing.  
  
Sirius and Marzia exchanged glances before Marzia took a step forward.  
  
"May we come in Mrs. Chang? We'll explain everything to you."  
  
"Well, I suppose so," Carol answered quickly which Sirius thought was a bit strange. Stop being paranoid, he thought to himself as Mrs. Chang held the door open and he followed Marzia inside.  
  
"Please have a seat, I'll go get Russell," Carol said gesturing towards the couch in what must've been the den. She turned on her heel and took very fast, petite steps out of the room, in search of her husband, Sirius assumed.  
  
"How lovely," Marzia remarked looking around at the antique vases and scenic paintings that decorated the room. "I bet we could make your house look this nice." she said giving him a sideways smile.  
  
"Our house," he corrected her gently. "Everything I own I consider yours too." His heart swelled seeing the happiness in her eyes and he reached over, taking her hand in his. She gave him a soft squeeze, gazing into his eyes and Sirius couldn't help himself, he leaned nearer and pressed his lips to hers. He felt her release his hand as she brought her own up to his face and he wrapped his arms around her. They were caught up in the moment, kissing passionately and holding each other, when they heard someone clear their throat. Their eyes sprung open and they both sat back quickly. Marzia began to fuss with her hair as Sirius looked away.  
  
"Forgive me for the interruption." Carol began.  
  
"No, no, no," Marzia cut in, standing, "forgive us, please. This wasn't the right time or place." she trailed off seeing the smile on Carol's face.  
  
"Don't worry about it, I can understand," she said sweetly, before turning to the man behind her. He too had black hair but his eyes were blue and he was looking suspiciously at Sirius.  
  
"This is my husband, Russell," she said gesturing to him, "and this is Marzia and Sirius," she continued now looking back.  
  
"Good to meet you Mr. Chang," Sirius began, "We were wondering if you."  
  
"What's all this about my daughter?" Russell asked interrupting him abruptly.  
  
Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, here it comes, he thought. He knows who I am and he doesn't trust me. However, when he opened his eyes he saw only a concerned father.  
  
"We think she may be in trouble sir," Marzia spoke up, taking control.  
  
"What do you mean?" Carol asked worriedly. "What's happened?"  
  
"A student at Hogwart's received a letter from your daughter," Marzia began. "In it she said there were reasons she needed to leave her job at the ministry, but she declined to say where she was going and asked that he not try and contact her. She mentioned someone might be looking for her as well."  
  
"Who did she send the letter to?" Russell asked seriously.  
  
"Harry," Carol said before Marzia could answer. "It had to be, right?"  
  
Marzia nodded.  
  
"Yes, she sent it to Harry."  
  
"Why him and not us?" Carol asked confused.  
  
"I don't know to be honest with you," Marzia replied, "but there's more." She went on to tell them how much time had gone by from the date the letter was written to when it was received, and then to the recent events involving the ministry file on Cho, and Gridman having taken it.  
  
"So you see why it's very important that we find her?" Marzia asked. "He's had that file for over two days now, and we know he's looking for her."  
  
She paused, waiting for a reaction of some kind, but none came. Sirius and she exchanged worried glances and he stood up slowly.  
  
"I'm sure this all comes as a shock, especially since you haven't heard from Cho in a while, but we really need your help if we're going to find her before someone else does. Do you have any idea where she might've gone?"  
  
"Hmmm?" Carol asked, looking up at Sirius, seeming dazed.  
  
"Cho," Marzia said, coming up next to Sirius. "Is there a place you know of that she might use to hide?"  
  
"Well, of course she would use our cabin," Russell said suddenly in an irritated tone. "It's the only place."  
  
"Great," Sirius said, overjoyed that they were finally getting somewhere. "How do we get there?"  
  
"It's upstairs," Carol said slowly, turning and heading for the staircase.  
  
"Um, excuse me?" Sirius asked, bewildered.  
  
"Her room, didn't you want to see it?" she asked, sounding very sure of herself. Sirius looked wide-eyed at Marzia, to see she was just as mystified as he.  
  
"Mrs. Chang." Marzia began.  
  
"Carol my dear, call me Carol."  
  
"Alright, Carol." she trailed off looking at Mrs. Chang's contented expression. "Lead the way," she said, deciding maybe it would be a good idea to see Cho's room. If her parent's were as out of it as they seemed to be, they would need any more clues that might possibly be there. Sirius and Marzia followed the Chang's out of the den to the stairs, and slowly began to climb them.  
  
"Stay alert," Sirius whispered to Marzia as they ascended the stairs. "I don't know exactly what's going on here, but something doesn't feel right."  
  
"I heartily agree," Marzia whispered back, over her shoulder. "One minute they seemed to hear what we were saying and the next.I don't know."  
  
"Maybe it's the same situation as with Percy, where someone is trying to control them," Sirius suggested.  
  
"They'd have to be very close for that," Marzia said.  
  
"In that case, we really have to be careful, we don't know who's doing this or even how many of them there are."  
  
"If that's even what's happening," Marzia pointed out.  
  
"Sirius? Marzia? Are you both alright?" Carol called to them and it was then they realized they had stopped halfway up the stairs while they'd been talking.  
  
"Fine," Marzia replied sweetly, turning and smiling at her. "Everything's fine, we were just talking, sorry."  
  
"No need to apologize," Carol replied, shaking her head and smiling. The Changs waited for Sirius and Marzia to reach them.  
  
"She really keeps her room quite lovely, I'm sure you'll agree," Carol said proudly to Marzia.  
  
"I'm sure," Marzia replied, forcing a very convincing smile. "Is this hers?" she asked, looking at the door she was standing next to and reaching for the handle. Russell sprang forward suddenly and roughly grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her away before she could reach the knob.  
  
"Let go of her!" Sirius yelled, ready to lunge at Mr. Chang, but he'd already released Marzia and she held up a hand motioning for him to stay put.  
  
"Wrong door," he said in a low voice, taking a step back. He raised his left arm and pointed down the hall. "Down there," he grunted.  
  
Sirius moved quickly to Marzia's side as the two of them stepped past the Changs. They made their way to the end of the hallway and stopped in front of the last door.  
  
"Is this the one?" Sirius asked cautiously, not wanting to take any chances. His right hand was hovering above his pocket, ready to go for his wand if necessary.  
  
"Yes," Mrs. Chang answered, still smiling. Sirius looked at Marzia and shrugged slightly, this whole situation was very awkward. She met his gaze briefly, before turning and reaching for the handle, this time without anyone pulling her away.  
  
The door swung open to reveal an unexpected sight. The room was in complete disarray, and had obviously been ransacked. Sirius and Marzia exchanged worried glances before turning back to face Cho's parents, who hadn't seen their daughter's room yet.  
  
"Carol," Marzia began gently, "before you."  
  
"Let me show you her china doll collection," Mrs. Chang said with excitement, stepping closer to the room.  
  
"Wait!" Marzia cried stepping in front of her, not wanting her to see the room yet. She didn't know what she had planned on doing, but she didn't want the woman to have a heart attack from the sight about to befall her.  
  
"Is something wrong dear?" Carol asked with concern. "You're acting quite strangely I must say."  
  
Marzia stared at Mrs. Chang with a look that clearly said 'I'm acting strangely?'  
  
"Come now, let me show you," Carol said briskly, stepping past them into the room as she spoke.  
  
Marzia had been about to stop her again when Sirius reached out to stop her. She looked at him questioningly but he only nodded towards Mrs. Chang, who had gotten all the way across the room without so much as a second glance at anything.  
  
"After you," Mr. Chang spoke up from behind Sirius, who looked over his shoulder briefly, before turning back to Marzia, staying close to her as they entered the room.  
  
"Look here," Carol said proudly, opening a glass set on a shelf near the window. She didn't seem to realize most of the glass had been shattered and didn't make a sound when she slit the top of her hand on a sharp edge while opening the case.  
  
"Carol, are you alright?" Marzia said stepping towards the shorter woman.  
  
"There we are now," Carol said, ignoring the question. She carefully pulled a figure out of the case, and held it out to Marzia. It was about eight inches long and had beautiful black hair that was littered with glass. "This is her favorite, be careful with it."  
  
Marzia looked entirely baffled as she took the doll from Carol, examining it.  
  
"It's lovely," she said quickly. "But, Mrs. Chang.well, um.is Cho's room always like this?" she asked, stumbling on the words.  
  
"Yes, she's very good about keeping up with it, wouldn't you say?" Carol replied, beaming, as she looked around her, oblivious to the destruction.  
  
Marzia glanced at Sirius, who was making no attempt to join this conversation, but signaling that he wanted to go.  
  
"I don't mean to be rude," Marzia said, turning back to Carol. "But we have to be on our way, could you tell us please where the cabin you mentioned is located? If it isn't too much trouble?"  
  
"Well, I." Carol began looking unsure.  
  
"Come downstairs, I'll show you," Russell spoke up, surprising both of them.  
  
"Thank you," Marzia said nodding and allowed Sirius to go first. He was showing no trust towards Mr. Chang after what happened earlier. They followed him back down to the den, and past that into what looked like a study, before stopping. Sirius and Marzia watched as he looked skeptically at a map tacked to the wall, before tearing it down, ripping the corners. He pulled out his wand, waving it over a spot on the map, creating a circle on the paper.  
  
"There," he said, thrusting the map at Sirius. "That's where the cabin is."  
  
"Thanks," Sirius replied, carefully taking the map. He folded it and put it into his pocket. "And thanks for all your time, we appreciate your help."  
  
"Tell Cho we said hi!" Carol said cheerily as they walked to the door.  
  
"We will," Marzia said, smiling, and followed Sirius outside.  
  
The two of them walked away as quickly as possible, wanting to shake the uncomfortable feeling the Changs gave them.  
  
"They didn't even see it.all of it." Sirius said when they were about a block away. "That room was destroyed. The bed sheets were sliced, and the mattress looked like it was inside out, the curtains were shredded too and there was glass everywhere."  
  
"I saw it," Marzia said thoughtfully, "but why didn't they? And how long has the room been like that? You would think you would hear something like that happening."  
  
"It's possible it could've happened when they were out, but by the way Mrs. Chang was acting, you would think she visits that room several times a day. She sounded like she still thought of Cho as a small child," Sirius pointed out.  
  
"I agree, poor girl. In any case let's focus on finding Cho first, then we'll try and figure out what's been done to her parents, as I'd bet anything they aren't normally that.strange. Let's see the map."  
  
Sirius reached into his pocket, extracting the folded paper and handing it opening it.  
  
"Wow, that's very far.from everything," Sirius said showing Marzia the glowing circle. "If she suddenly needed help, I doubt there are any neighbors close by."  
  
"Agreed," Marzia nodded, "so I suggest we apparate there. The sooner the better. If she's there, great, if not, maybe she stopped by at least and we could find something that would point us to where she is now."  
  
"Well I agree apparating would be fastest, but not directly to this spot," Sirius said pointing his finger at the circle. "For one thing, I'm not sure I entirely trust Mr. Chang to tell us the truth, and this could be a trap. Secondly, If Cho is there and the person looking for her found her, I want to know about it before we're inside the house, which means scoping it out first. So we'll get as close as we can, and then walk the rest of the way."  
  
"Whatever you say boss," Marzia kidded.  
  
"Oh cut it out, this is no time for jokes," Sirius admonished her, smiling.  
  
"What?" Marzia cried, appearing shocked. "Repeat that, please? I swear I just heard the king of pranks tell me this is no time for jokes, I think my ears must be clogged."  
  
"Alright, alright," he laughed. "Point taken." He pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead. "I love you," he whispered softly. "And I'm not going to joke around right now because the truth is, I don't know who we're dealing with. It scares me that I might not be able to protect you," he said in a serious tone.  
  
"Don't think like that," Marzia said quickly. "It doesn't help anything. I can take care of myself pretty well, don't forget."  
  
"I know you can, but." he stopped as Marzia raised her forefinger and pressed it to his lips.  
  
"Shhh, don't," she whispered. "Like I said, doesn't help us at all to worry about things that may not even be. Now, I say we get going before we talk ourselves out of it, okay?"  
  
Sirius nodded, knowing she was right, and reluctantly stepped away from her to bring the map up again.  
  
"Here," he said pointing a short distance from the circle, "let's start from this point, and work our way to the cabin from there. It's far enough away so if anyone is there they won't see us before we're aware of their presence, but close enough so we won't be needing to camp somewhere before we get to the cabin."  
  
"Looks good to me," Marzia said. "Ready?"  
  
"As ever," Sirius replied nodding and putting the map away. "Let's go."  
  
"Not half bad," Sirius commented, looking at their new surroundings. They'd arrived in a tiny thicket of trees just near a very small river, which seemed to go on for as far as either of them could see. The two of them stepped out of the trees and into the clearing.  
  
"Two feet, that's all it would've taken," Marzia complained, wiping bits of tree bark from her clothes. "Ech, and I have sap all over me, how horrifying."  
  
Sirius just shook his head and laughed.  
  
"I'm sure there are plenty of things more horrifying than sap on your clothes," he said rolling his eyes as he watched her take out her wand and begin to magic the sap away.  
  
"Name one," she joked, pushing her hair back and pulling her hand away in disgust. "Not my hair too," she cried. She shook her head in despair and began working on that as well, muttering under her breath.  
  
"Take your time," Sirius said sardonically, "not as if we have anywhere to be."  
  
"Hey, cut me some slack Mr. I-managed-to-apparate-closer-to-the- clearing. We can walk while I do this, which way are we headed?"  
  
Sirius chuckled as he pulled out the map again and pulled out his wand.  
  
"Point me," he said and immediately felt the wand tug in his hands, pulling him to face north. When he lined the map up correctly, he turned to Marzia. "We're heading west, let's go saphead."  
  
Marzia lifted her head slowly and glared playfully at him.  
  
"You'll pay for that remark, you know that, don't you?"  
  
"Counting on it," Sirius replied, "Now c'mon, walk and zap at the same time, not like we have someone to impress you know." He rolled his eyes as she feigned shock and began to walk away.  
  
"Women." he muttered. "Possibly heading into a life or death situation and she wants to make sure her hair is perfect."  
  
"Hey, I heard that!" she cried catching up to him. "And for your information, it just grosses me out leaving it there, I don't care how I look."  
  
"Could've fooled me." he joked and smiled devilishly at her, earning him a swift punch in the arm.  
  
"How far do we have to go until the cabin?" Marzia asked, changing the subject while searching for sap in her hair.  
  
"Not far," Sirius replied, consulting the map. "Just short of two miles, we should be there in less than half an hour."  
  
They walked on, discussing what they would do upon reaching the cabin. What their options would be if they found it to be occupied by more than just Cho, and what they would do if they found it empty. Soon enough, they had reached their destination, and took cover behind some nearby trees. They were on a hill overlooking the cabin and wanted to watch it for any sign that someone was there.  
  
"Maybe we should try moving closer?" Marzia suggested after twenty minutes had passed. "Or get around the other side?"  
  
"I don't like the idea of getting closer, they can't see us here," Sirius replied quietly, watching the cabin intently.  
  
"If there even is a 'they,'" Marzia pointed out. "It could be empty for all we know."  
  
"Or it could be filled with death eaters.or worse," Sirius said. "Just waiting for someone to come along looking for Cho, or perhaps even waiting for Cho herself."  
  
"Well there's only." Marzia began but stopped as Sirius put up a hand abruptly. She followed his gaze back to the cabin and held her breath.  
  
The front door was opening, and four death eaters emerged from inside the cabin.  
  
"I knew it," Sirius hissed as he watched them close the door and face each other. They were discussing something, but were too far away for anything to be heard. After a moment, they split into two groups, and headed off in opposite directions on either side of the house.  
  
"Left or right?" Sirius asked Marzia, keeping his eyes on the death eaters.  
  
"I'll take the right," she replied evenly, wand out.  
  
Silently they stood up and went their separate ways down the hill, trying to use the trees for cover the whole way down.  
  
Sirius reached the bottom, just behind his two death eaters, and was elated to see a large wooden fence lining this side of the house, letting out several feet away. Quickly and quietly, he ran along on the opposite side of the fence from the death eaters, until he reached the end, and waited. He didn't want to attack too soon, or whichever one he didn't hit might have a chance at escaping back to warn whoever was surely in the cabin.  
  
He waited until they were less than five feet away, before aiming his wand at the one further from the fence. Taking a shaky breath and coming to a sudden decision, he uttered the two words he hated more than any other.  
  
"Avada Kedavra."  
  
The last thing the death eater saw was a flash of green light before he was lying motionless on the soft ground. His cohort was looking at him, stunned, and Sirius took advantage of the opportunity. He shifted his wand slightly to the right, before saying the curse again.  
  
"That was too easy," he thought worriedly, standing up from his hiding spot and walking over to the bodies. He hated death, especially when there was no good reason for it. But if he had left either of these men alive, these men who worked for the man trying to murder his godson, it would've come back to haunt him.  
  
"Not as if this isn't just as bad," he muttered to himself lifting the hood of the first man and discovering he could barely be called that. He would be surprised if this kid were older than Harry. Feeling greatly saddened, he moved on to the next death eater and found a middle-aged man, who he again didn't recognize.  
  
"Why couldn't one of you be Malfoy," he said aloud and was startled to hear someone reply.  
  
"Because that would make things too easy," Marzia said. "As if it weren't already. Does something feel not right about this to you?" she asked.  
  
"I was just thinking that as you showed up, I take it you didn't have any trouble?"  
  
"None at all. Granted there were only two of them, but I thought death eaters were supposed to be trained killers.right?" she asked.  
  
"Last I heard," Sirius shrugged. He looked again into the lifeless eyes of the younger death eater, realizing his purpose in being here was to die, probably to give them a false sense of calm about this mission.  
  
"Only one thing left," Marzia spoke up, looking from Sirius, to the cabin, and back again."  
  
Sirius tore his eyes away from the boy, to look at her and nodded resolutely. He stood up and tightened the grip on his wand as they headed for the cabin together.  
  
They crept up to the front door of the small two-floor cabin, Sirius motioning for Marzia to stay behind him. He held his wand out as he reached for the latch, and turned it ever so slowly. When he heard it click, he gave it a gentle push, just enough for him to see inside.  
  
"Doesn't look like anyone's here," he whispered to Marzia.  
  
"Well, let's have a better look," she replied.  
  
Sirius pushed the door the rest of the way open and stepped inside, Marzia right behind him, into the completely empty room.  
  
"There has to be someone here," Sirius said as he began looking around. The front room was decorated very similar to the Chang's house, but the furniture here was all covered in sheets. If Cho had arrived, she hadn't bothered to make the place livable, which would be understandable, given the circumstances. "Those death eaters looked like they were guarding the place. What's the point if there's no one here?"  
  
"Agreed," Marzia said, "so are we splitting up or staying together to check the other rooms?"  
  
"Together," Sirius replied without hesitation.  
  
"We could cover more ground if we." she trailed off as Sirius shook his head. "Oh, alright, together," she said, rolling her eyes and smirking at him.  
  
They searched the first floor carefully, checking every crook and corner. They went through the kitchen, the den, the study, every closet and cupboard; not wanting to miss anyone who might be hiding or any clues that may've been left, but came up empty.  
  
"Nothing here," Marzia said as they came back into the front room. "Let's head up to the bedrooms."  
  
Sirius nodded, heading for the stairs and made sure he was in front as they ascended. When they reached the top, they heard voices from behind the last door to their right. The two of them exchanged a brief glance, before heading down the hall, as silently as possible. They had no idea what to expect or how many people were in the room. Sirius looked up sharply when he heard what was unmistakably a girl's cry, and quickened his pace.  
  
"I'll go in first," he whispered as they reached the door.  
  
Marzia looked into his eyes, with undisguised concern.  
  
"I'm right behind you, no matter what. Be ready for anything Sirius," she warned.  
  
"You know me," he smirked. He tore his eyes from hers and raised his wand. Grasping the handle, he turned the knob until he heard it click, and hesitating for only a second, pushed the door open fiercely, bursting into the room.  
  
Sirius looked around, ready to strike, but froze at the sight before him. An enormous man wearing armor over his chest and shoulders and holding a whip was standing a few feet away, his back to the door.  
  
Marzia came up next to Sirius, also pausing to take the sight in; neither of them realizing the door hinges were loose, until it slammed shut behind them. They both jumped slightly as the giant of a man turned towards them, looking amused. Sirius could hear muffled sounds behind the man, but couldn't see past his bulk.  
  
"Menetor," Marzia whispered, alarmed. Sirius looked at her questioningly but his attention was drawn away as the man took a step forward.  
  
He looked at Sirius, smiling wickedly, before sizing up Marzia.  
  
"Shadow Behind," he whispered gleefully, and cracked his whip against the floor.  
  
"Where's Cho?" Sirius asked in a demanding tone, pointing his wand at the man.  
  
"You will address me properly or you will pay," the man said almost casually, but giving Sirius a piercing stare.  
  
"Menetor," Marzia said loudly. "We know you have her, now just give her here and we'll leave you be." Menetor threw looked at her as if she were joking and threw his head back in laughter. Sirius thought he had to be at least 12 feet tall.  
  
Menetor brought his gaze back to Marzia and no longer appeared amused.  
  
"I said properly," he hissed, raising the handle of his whip. He swirled it in the air above his head, and brought it down with a crack at Marzia's feet. She didn't flinch.  
  
"I'm not in the mood for games," Marzia said icily.  
  
"Nor am I," Menetor replied, matching her tone. Sirius had no idea what to make of the situation, and looked from one to the other, anxiously.  
  
Menetor began to turn away at last and Marzia's shoulders dropped, some of the tension leaving. Sirius just caught a glimpse of someone further back in the room, when Menetor swung back around unexpectedly, brandishing his whip. Before Sirius could react, Menetor lashed out at Marzia, securing the whip around her waist, and with a mere tug on the handle, pulled her to him.  
  
Marzia ripped at the cord around her in vain, as it wasn't budging. Her fingernails caught in the rough hemp and tore down to the quick. She looked up at Menetor he smiled at her evilly.  
  
Sirius was after her in a flash, ready to rip the larger man's throat out, when he felt a sudden force push him backwards. He flew the length of the room, slamming his back against the wall and slumping to the floor. Menetor lowered his hand that he had waved at Sirius to push him, and used it to grasp Marzia's wrists. His hand was the size of both of hers combined, and his grip like steel. Dropping the whip handle to the floor, he brought his other hand up to her face, cupping her chin in his palm.  
  
Sirius was stunned; literally, he couldn't get his legs to move, and watched the scene before him with growing horror.  
  
Then the screaming began.  
  
Sirius looked on, utterly powerless to stop what was happening, but the sound of Marzia's screams were tearing his heart out. He tried furiously to get even just his hand to respond, but he couldn't move. Whatever he'd been hit with had paralyzed him, and he had no idea for how long.  
  
Suddenly the screams stopped, and Sirius watched as Menetor took his hand away from Marzia's face. She was physically spent and Sirius could tell she was ready to collapse. If she weren't being held up by her wrists, she'd be on the floor. Glaring hatefully at Menetor, Sirius' heart leapt as he felt the effects of the blast beginning to wear off. His fingers were tingling and he was able to move them slightly. His wand was lying in the palm of his hand still, and he kept flexing his fingers, trying to get a grip on it.  
  
Meanwhile, Menetor had begun running his fingers through Marzia's long red hair, almost caressing her face as he did so. However, the expression on his face showed no affection, merely enjoyment, satisfaction even.  
  
Sirius felt hot anger swelling within him as he watched this monster touch the woman he loved. He grasped his wand and tried to take aim at Menetor, which was quite hard considering he still couldn't move his arm completely.  
  
Looking up again, he saw Menetor was bringing Marzia over to a chair near the center of the room, where a table was also set up. That's when he spotted Cho, whom he'd suspected had been there the entire time, but couldn't see her because she'd been blocked from his view.  
  
She was barely standing, and there were two silver beams of light around her wrists, which she was weakly trying to pull away from. They seemed to be holding fast to nothing, and weren't allowing her to budge in the slightest, keeping her where she was. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were wide with terror. She didn't even seem to notice Sirius or Marzia's presence, just kept tugging in vain, trying to free her hands.  
  
Sirius was now feeling his strength returning and the paralysis was quickly wearing off. He pulled his legs to him slowly, not wanting to attract any attention until he was ready. Menetor was busy propping Marzia up in a straight-backed chair. She began to slump immediately and he backhanded her across the face. Sirius bared his teeth as he began to push himself up the wall using it for support, and raised his wand, with a shaky hand.  
  
"Get away from her," he spat, glaring at Menetor.  
  
The large man looked up at Sirius, not at all shocked that he was standing and looking rather pleased with himself.  
  
No, we need to have a small discussion, she and I," he said casually. Maybe it's best you stay out of it, as it doesn't concern you." He raised his left hand, which was glowing silver, pulling it back as if he were getting ready to throw something.  
  
Sirius watched as Menetor released the ball of light at him, thinking only one thing; he could not let it hit him. Barely able to move as it was, he only had a split second to get his timing right, and just as the light was about to collide with him, he dropped to his knees, wincing from the pain that instantly shot up his legs.  
  
"Oh don't play stupid tricks, boy," Menetor growled, "You can't win, I'm more powerful than you could ever hope to be."  
  
Sirius didn't reply, just glared at the giant of a man as he got painfully to his feet. His movement had returned completely, but everything that had been paralyzed was now throbbing, though he didn't dare let it show. Gritting his teeth, he raised his wand again, deciding not to wait for Menetor to strike again.  
  
"Stupefy!" he yelled watching the beam of light emitting from the end of his wand head straight for its target.  
  
Menetor raised a hand casually, deflecting the spell with ease. He wiped his hands together afterwards, as if they had dirt on them that he was brushing off.  
  
"Nothing like that will work, Sirius," Marzia spoke up in a shaky voice, "You need something mo-" her words were cut off abruptly as Menetor whirled on her, once again backhanding her viciously. Marzia's head rolled harshly on her neck and she cried out in pain, causing a fresh surge of anger to rise within Sirius.  
  
He stepped towards Menetor, ignoring the pain that was coursing through his body. He had wanted to keep this monster alive, to question him, but now he felt there was no other choice. Glancing once at Cho, and then at Marzia, he pointed his wand at Menetor again.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" he screamed in anger and the green light burst forth from the tip of his wand. Menetor, who had just been turning back to face Sirius, a sneer on his face, was caught off-guard, and the curse hit him with great force. The large man fell backwards, slamming to the floor with a crash, causing the room to shake violently, followed by dead quiet.  
  
Cho was first to break the silence as the silver rings around her wrists vanished suddenly, and she sunk to the floor, sobbing.  
  
"Hurry," Marzia said, sounding nervous, using every ounce of strength left in her to stand. "We have to get her out of here."  
  
"Hey, take it easy," Sirius said in concern and began heading over to Marzia, "You're hurt badly and."  
  
"Sirius!" Marzia cut him off sharply, with an edge of fear in her voice. "He isn't dead! We have to get Cho and get out!"  
  
Sirius looked at her in confusion and shock.  
  
"That's impossible."  
  
"No, it isn't, and unless you want to witness it first hand I suggest you start moving!" Marzia replied. She had already begun moving towards Cho, but her strength was completely gone, her legs could no longer support her and she slipped towards the floor.  
  
Sirius lunged forward, catching her in his arms. He lowered himself down to his knees for he too was growing weaker.  
  
"How long do we have?" he asked Marzia, who was losing consciousness. She didn't reply. "Marzia!" he said a bit louder, lightly tapping the side of her face. He made sure not to touch the right side, which was now bruising quite badly from Menetor's attacks. "Can you hear me? Please answer."  
  
Her eyes fluttered slightly, and she looked at him curiously for a moment before realizing what he had asked.  
  
"Five minutes.maybe ten." she replied, before losing consciousness entirely. Sirius looked from her to Cho, knowing neither of them would be able to help, then to Menetor's still form. Even though the man wasn't breathing, he didn't doubt for a second that Marzia was right, as she seemed to know much more about this creature than he did. He fought back the panic threatening to consume him, and realized there was only one way to get all three of them out alive.  
  
Sirius gripped his wand tightly, fighting off the wave of nausea he was now feeling. He summoned all the strength he had, knowing that he was the only one that could get them out of there, he could not allow himself to lose consciousness, or it was all over. Gently, he laid Marzia on the floor using the utmost care. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her bruised face, before slowly standing up. He headed to Menetor first, who was showing no sign of life whatsoever. His eyes were open wide, with a glassy look to them and he wasn't breathing at all. Nevertheless, Sirius trusted Marzia's knowledge of the situation far more than his own eyes, and summoning cords from the air, he bound the larger man from neck to ankles, knowing they'd probably do little to hold him back. Turning quickly, he went to Cho, who was still sitting in a heap, sobbing quietly.  
  
"Cho?" he asked, trying not to sound panicky. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"  
  
She either didn't hear him or was ignoring the question, as she made no attempt to acknowledge he had spoken. She stayed where she was, her shoulders shaking slightly as she wept.  
  
He knew she was most likely in shock, and didn't want to think about what she'd probably been through, but also knew they didn't have time for him to coax her gently. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her forearm, causing her to jump. She tried to scramble away and he tightened his grasp, hoping she would realize who it was.  
  
"Cho, look at me! It's Sirius! I'm here to help you and I'm getting you out of here but you have to help me by doing as I say!"  
  
She seemed to hesitate for a second at the sound of his voice, and he loosened his grip slightly.  
  
"That's it, just calm down a bit," he said soothingly, throwing a nervous glance at Menetor.  
  
"S-Sirius?" she asked in a shaky voice. "It's really you?" Her eyes searched his with a desperate yearning, wanting it to be true.  
  
"Yes, I'm really here, but we need to get out and soon. Are you well enough to walk?" he asked, praying she would be able to.  
  
"Thank goodness!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "That man, he was going to kill me, and he's after Harry." she said in a muffled voice, her face pressed into chest.  
  
Sirius had to fight the urge to begin questioning her right then and there when he heard his godson's name, they needed to escape, and he could find out what had happened later. Bringing his hands up and easing her arms away from him, he looked at her seriously.  
  
"Miss Chang, this is very important, we need to get out of here now or Menetor may still have his chance at us, now, can you walk?"  
  
This hit home for Cho as her eyes went wide with terror yet again. She nodded fearfully at Sirius and lifted herself off the floor, wincing as she did so. Sirius wondered if it was a good idea to let her do move on her own, she looked in a lot more pain than he felt, but knew this was the fastest way at the moment.  
  
He stood with her and turned to Marzia, conjuring a stretcher and placing her on it. Cho was staring in trepidation at Menetor's still form, and Sirius had to take her by the hand and lead her away.  
  
"He looks dead." she whispered, glancing over her shoulder as they moved towards the door.  
  
"He isn't, believe me," Sirius replied. He opened the door and guided Marzia through it, then stood aside for Cho to pass. As he was shutting it behind him, he heard a low moan and new their time was almost gone. Fighting the dread inside him, he again took Cho's hand, leading her and Marzia down the hall.  
  
Sirius pulled Cho along beside him while nudging the stretcher Marzia lay upon, silently down the hall and back the way they had come until all three of them were standing in the front room. He looked around the room briefly, than at the doorway they had just come through, before aiming his wand at it.  
  
"Contectum" he spoke quietly and a soft glittering light emitted from his wand, spreading itself over the space of the entrance and forming a shield.  
  
"Will that hold him?" Cho asked nervously, unable to look away, as if expecting Menetor to burst through at any second.  
  
"I don't know, he was able to deflect the stunning charm and didn't die when I used the killing curse, so I have my doubts as to any of this having an effect on him."  
  
"So the ropes."  
  
"Won't hold, you can count on it," Sirius finished for her, heading to the window. Taking one of the vases from the ledge, he hastily pulled the replica flowers out of it, and turned back to Cho, who had slumped to the floor near Marzia.  
  
"Your parents won't mind if I borrow this, will they?" he asked holding the vase up. Cho shook her head no, a confused expression on her face, as Sirius headed back to the center of the room. He knelt down next to Marzia, laying the vase on the floor.  
  
"What are you.?" Cho began, but stopped as Sirius pointed his wand and began speaking.  
  
"Temporalis Permutonis Gerulus Clavis," he spoke quickly, and Cho's eyes widened.  
  
"You're making a port key?" she asked, hesitantly. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"  
  
"It's our only choice," Sirius replied firmly, looking worriedly at Marzia.  
  
"But.look at her, there's no way she'll make it through a journey like that! She'll be so much worse off.possibly even."  
  
"No one is going to die here," Sirius cut her off before she could finish. "Marzia will be fine, but what I need to do is."  
  
The sound of a door crashing violently open above them drowned out what Sirius was saying and they looked towards the hallway fearfully.  
  
"We're never going to find out if she'd make it!" Cho cried, close to panic, "It'll never be done in time."  
  
"We have to stall him," Sirius replied as they heard heavy footsteps descending the stairs. Menetor was moving slowly, to make sure his victims were quite terrified.  
  
"How?" Cho whispered so high pitched it was almost a squeak. "Didn't you say he deflected your spell upstairs? And if trying to kill him didn't do anything more than knock him out, what else is there?"  
  
"Well we're gonna hope that shield holds," Sirius said nodding towards the shimmering light in the doorway. Menetor had reached the first floor, and they could see his silhouette looming at the end of the hallway.  
  
"And if it doesn't?" Cho pressed.  
  
"Then we do whatever we have to until this is ready," he said looking down at the vase.  
  
"You're clever boy," a dark voice floated down the hall at them, "but you have made a serious error, and you will be punished." Menetor stepped up to the opposite side of the shield, glowering at them.  
  
"This is children's magic," he laughed, looking at the glimmering barrier, "You humans are so pathetic, and over-confident."  
  
Sirius and Cho looked on, frozen to the spot, as Menetor reached out an over sized hand, and managed to grasp the light, tightly. He grinned briefly, before pulling fast on the shield, ripping it from the door as if it were nothing more than a blanket. Letting it fall to the floor in an uneven jumble, he stepped at last into the room.  
  
"Did you honestly think you're little cords would hold me?" Menetor asked, looking pitifully at Sirius.  
  
Sirius didn't answer; instead, he gripped his wand, raising it swiftly towards the giant man.  
  
"Cassesium!" he shouted and immediately a white substance poured from the tip. It spread itself out in a netlike pattern, heading directly at Menetor. The large man was prepared to block a curse, and was already raising his hand to deflect it, but when the net came towards him, he lifted his other arm as well, catching it before it was able to ensnare him.  
  
"Foolish boy!" he yelled angrily, holding the clump of white material, ready to throw it, but when he released his grip, he was shocked to find he was unable to do so. The net was web-like and sticky, and the more he tried to let go of it, the more it clung to him.  
  
Sirius smirked; throwing another glance at the vase, praying it would not be much longer.  
  
"Conglacio!" he yelled as soon as he was sure Menetor would be unable to deflect it. The blue light sped towards its target and the huge man gave a violent tug with his right arm, freeing it, but too late. The curse hit him on his right side and they watched as it spread over his entire body. First, a wave of blue washed over him, followed immediately by ice, beginning from where the spell hit and branching out from there.  
  
Seconds that felt like hours passed for Sirius and Cho, until Menetor was completely encased in ice.  
  
"How long will that hold for?" Cho asked tearing her eyes away from the glacial mound and looking at Sirius.  
  
"I don't know," he replied darkly. Suddenly from below him, there was a flash of light, which made his heart leap. It was almost ready! He pointed his wand at the vase, ready to finish the spell, when a loud cracking sound caused him to look up quickly.  
  
Menetor was escaping. He'd managed to punch his way through the ice and in seconds, he'd be completely free. Sirius turned his attention back to the vase, and spoke quickly.  
  
"Quoquoversus Usquam cum Attrecto."  
  
The vase lit from within, flashing brightly, before going dark again. Just a few more minutes, Sirius thought to himself. He looked up just as the last of the ice was shattered to slivers and Menetor looked murderously at him.  
  
Sirius felt himself being lifted into the air, and tried frantically to grasp anything nearby, but it was too late. He heard Cho let out an anguished cry as he flew the short distance to where Menetor stood with his arms outstretched, powerless to stop him.  
  
"Now," Menetor hissed, grabbing Sirius' arms roughly, pinning them to his sides, "I'm going to make sure your end is quite painful."  
  
Sirius struggled to move his arms; he still had his wand, but was having trouble aiming it with his limited movement. His feet were hanging a few feet above the floor, and he swung them forward, kicking at the larger man with every ounce of strength left in him.  
  
Menetor looked at him, an amused expression on his face, and let out a wicked laugh.  
  
"You weak boy, stop making this harder on yourself," he spat. Glancing down as Sirius tried to hurt him, but there seemed to be no effect. His eyes were drawn to Sirius' wand and he smiled evilly.  
  
With a harsh thrust, he slammed Sirius' feet to the floor, causing his knees to buckle in pain. Sirius clenched his teeth, not allowing himself to cry out from the burning sensation ripping through his legs, but couldn't prevent the tears that had sprung to his eyes from slipping out.  
  
Menetor paid no mind to this; he was still looking at the wand. Pushing Sirius' hands together and holding him with one hand by the wrists, he snatched the wand from his grasp, turning it over in his fingers.  
  
"I've always wanted a wizard's wand," Menetor mused, examining it carefully. He slipped it into his belt, before turning his attention back to Sirius.  
  
It took Sirius a moment to realize the giant man had taken his wand, and he tried to pull his arms free, but was too weak. He looked around desperately for anything that might help him, but there was nothing except furniture, covered in sheets. He looked over his shoulder to see Cho frozen with shock, he would have called to her, but didn't want to draw Menetor's attention to her, she'd had to deal with him enough as it was.  
  
His head was jerked back around roughly as Menetor grabbed him under his chin, forcing him to look into the larger man's eyes.  
  
There was a strange tingling pulsating from Menetor's grip, and Sirius wanted to tear his hand away, but couldn't. Even if he managed to free himself the pain in his legs was far too great, and he doubted very much that he'd have any luck standing on his own. All he could do was stare into Menetor's eyes, which he now noticed were silver, just like the beams of light he'd shot earlier.  
  
"I'm going to destroy your mind," Menetor whispered, gleefully, "and do the same to that pretty little girl behind you. Then your woman and I are going to have a talk, a very long talk."  
  
Sirius felt cold fury running through him, wanting to kill this man who was threatening the woman he loved, if only he could get to his wand.  
  
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of light behind him, and knew the port key was complete.  
  
"What is it you want?" Sirius asked in a strained voice, desperate to stall Menetor from whatever he was about to do.  
  
"Nothing that concerns a weak wizard such as yourself," Menetor replied, smiling, and Sirius felt the grip above his neck tighten.  
  
"How do you know?" Sirius asked. "Maybe I have the information you're looking for."  
  
"Doubtful," Menetor said stiffly.  
  
"It's about Harry Potter, right?" Sirius asked, cautiously. "I'm his godfather and know more about him than anyone here."  
  
"Really?" Menetor asked suspiciously. "If you're so close to him, then that's even more reason for me not to trust you. You'd never betray him." He drew Sirius closer, leaning down so their eyes were at the same level and Sirius began to feel something happening.  
  
"But I want to spend the rest of my life with Marzia," Sirius managed to get out, desperate now. "I don't want to see her hurt."  
  
Menetor hesitated for a moment, blinking in uncertainty.  
  
"You would give information on your godson, in exchange for her?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
Sirius nodded, as best he could.  
  
"Yes, I would, please just let them go and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."  
  
"No, they stay. I still have no proof you have the knowledge I'm looking for. But I'm willing to put off your death for a bit longer." He took his hand away from Sirius' face, letting it drop to his side, but kept hold of his arms.  
  
"Do you swear you won't hurt them?" Sirius asked, nodding behind him.  
  
"I make promises to no one," Menetor spat. He dragged Sirius painfully to where Marzia was laid out on the stretcher, dropping him down to where he'd been sitting before and paying no attention to the vase, which Sirius was careful not to touch. He pulled himself into a sitting position and looked up at Menetor, who was kneeling next to him, looking at Marzia very strangely, and causing Sirius' stomach to turn.  
  
He glanced across at Cho, who was paler than he'd ever seen her.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked softly, trying to both make sure she was and get her attention.  
  
"That is not what I let you live for," Menetor growled, physically turning Sirius on the spot to face him. "Now, about your godson."  
  
"I just wanted to make sure she's okay, surely you can allow me one moment." Sirius began.  
  
"Don't be presumptuous boy, you're alive because I've allowed it, so is she," he said nodding towards Cho. "If you want to stay that way you will begin talking."  
  
Sirius sighed lightly.  
  
"What do you want to know?" he asked, sounding defeated.  
  
"This Harry Potter, does he know who he is? Is he aware of his power?" Menetor asked, turning his attention back to Marzia as he did so. Sirius watched, feeling anger twisting inside him as the large man put a hand to her head, and began stroking her hair.  
  
"He knows he's a wizard, if that's what you mean," Sirius answered carefully. He glanced at Cho to see her looking back at him desperately and his heart leapt. He looked directly into her eyes, then down to the vase, before looking back at her. She nodded anxiously and began to lean forward as if to grasp it. Sirius widened his eyes and shook his head, mouthing the word 'no.'  
  
"I know he's a wizard, don't be foolish, I'm referring to his other powers, has he been told of them yet?" Menetor continued. He was still leaning over Marzia, entranced by her, it seemed.  
  
Sirius looked again at Cho, turning his gaze pointedly to the vase, and then to Menetor. He looked back at her and repeated what he'd just done.  
  
'Him?' Cho mouthed in amazement, nodding slightly towards the large man.  
  
Sirius nodded insistently, feeling overjoyed she had understood, before turning back to look at Menetor. It was all up to Cho now.  
  
"What powers do you mean?" Sirius asked not wanting to say anything about Lunis.  
  
Menetor tore his gaze away from Marzia and gave Sirius a pointed glare.  
  
"If you have to ask you must not know," he hissed, his eyes flashing.  
  
"I just want to make sure of what you're asking!" Sirius replied hurriedly, seeing there wasn't much time left. Suddenly he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and knew Cho was going for it. He looked to where she was kneeling, wand outstretched, lifting the vase into the air.  
  
Menetor looked at the vase curiously before speaking.  
  
"No more, these games are ending.now," he said quietly, reaching for the vase, which was hovering near Sirius' head.  
  
Sirius held his breath, waiting, when suddenly the vase whipped through the air, away from Menetor. He looked to Cho, confused and wanting to scream. What was she doing?  
  
The vase flew through the air barely avoiding collisions with furniture and the ceiling, Cho was obviously very tired and Sirius prayed she didn't lose control of it, it was their last chance, but a look at Menetor told him what she was doing was working. When she had pulled it out of his grasp, she'd piqued his curiosity as he was standing in an instant, holding his arm out in front of him. He summoned the vase to where he stood, but didn't touch it. He let it float a few feet in front of him, looking cautiously at it.  
  
"What's so important about this?" he asked aloud, not taking his eyes away from the vase. Sirius and Cho exchanged glances, but neither one answered.  
  
"Well?" he asked, whirling around on them. He looked from Cho to Sirius to Marzia, a thoughtful expression on his face.  
  
"It's a port key, isn't it?" he asked at last, looking quite proud of himself. "Yes, I've heard all about these, you can use them to travel great distances. So tell me, where were you planning on escaping to?" He settled his gaze on Sirius, looking expectantly at him.  
  
Sirius refused to answer; he set his jaw stubbornly, glaring at Menetor.  
  
"You, girl!" Menetor shouted, turning to face Cho, "answer my question, now!"  
  
Sirius didn't think it was possible, but Cho became even paler than before. She opened her mouth, obviously trying to speak, but nothing came out. Suddenly, an idea came to Sirius.  
  
"Hogwart's," he said defiantly. "It will go to Hogwart's." Cho looked at him in horror and Menetor grinned.  
  
"And to Harry Potter, himself. Wonderful. Now, for my next question, are you lying?" he asked, looking knowingly at Sirius.  
  
"No I'm not, where else would I set it to go?" he replied.  
  
"Well, we'll see about that," Menetor said quietly. He began to move forward, towards Sirius, and Marzia.  
  
"What are you.?" Sirius began, feeling nervous.  
  
"Insurance. I'm taking her with me. If anything goes wrong."  
  
"No!" Sirius yelled, furious. His legs were screaming in agony but he forced himself to stand.  
  
"No?" Menetor laughed. "You can do nothing to stop me, boy." He glowered evilly at Sirius, before leaning towards Marzia. Sirius looked to Cho desperately, he could do nothing without his wand.  
  
However, Cho was already reacting, she again took control of the vase while Menetor was distracted, whirling it in the air.  
  
"Hey!" she shouted suddenly, causing the large man to spin towards her, before he had a chance to react, she slammed it into his chest. He reached up to push it away but it was too late, and they watched him disappear in a swirl of color.  
  
Sirius exhaled, not realizing he'd been holding his breath, he shakily bent his knees, wincing at the pain, until he was sitting again next to Marzia. After a moment, Cho sat back down too; looking drained and shocked.  
  
"Good job, Cho," Sirius said tiredly. "Did you have to pull the vase away from him though? He was ready to grab it when he first saw it."  
  
"Well if you didn't want him taking her with you I did," she replied pointing at Marzia. He still had his hand on her; she would've gone wherever you sent him. Tell me it wasn't Hogwart's; please." she said, pleadingly.  
  
"No it wasn't Hogwart's," he replied shaking his head and grinning. "Good thing one of us was paying attention too, thank you." He reached out a hand, running his fingers through Marzia's hair.  
  
"Where is he then?" Cho asked, sounding nervous. "Will he be able to get back?"  
  
"Eventually, I suppose," Sirius answered. "I made it so it won't be stopping anytime soon, it'll keep going, probably for days. No specific direction and he won't be able to stop it.  
  
"Where will he end up?" Cho asked.  
  
"Very far north, in the mountains."  
  
"As long as it's nowhere near here, wonderful," Cho stated.  
  
The two of them were silent for a few moments, before Sirius spoke again.  
  
"What happened Cho? Why was he after you? Do you know something, or find out something at the ministry?"  
  
"I only found out what I wrote to Harry, that the dementor's were sided with Voldemort, and he'd taken over Azkaban. I overheard Mr. Thurston and someone else talking about it, and that's when I left the ministry."  
  
"When did you send that letter?" he asked.  
  
"Um, I don't remember the date, the end of September I think?" she replied, unsure.  
  
"Harry never received it until Halloween."  
  
"What?" Cho asked, confused. "I know I didn't send it that late, it should have arrived weeks before then."  
  
"Well it didn't, so someone interfered, but then went and sent it anyway."  
  
"Who would do that?" Cho asked.  
  
"I have no idea." Sirius trailed off. He sighed heavily, looking to Marzia and then back to Cho.  
  
"We can try and figure everything out later, what we need now is to find our way to the nearest town."  
  
"How?" Cho asked, glancing again at Marzia. "A port key would."  
  
"I know she shouldn't be traveling that way, but we may have no choice. I'm going outside first though."  
  
"What? Why? You can barely walk." she began.  
  
"We ran into some death eaters on our way in, it's possible one of them may have some floo powder. You could make a fire and we could take it to a hospital."  
  
"Are you sure you should be going out there?" she asked, worriedly. "There may be more of them, watching."  
  
"I have to chance it," he replied firmly. "We certainly can't stay here. Even with Menetor gone, they know we're here."  
  
"Maybe I should go," Cho offered, looking at Sirius' legs uncertainly.  
  
"No, you stay here, you're the one with the wand. Look after Marzia and I'll be back shortly, I promise." He reached over, taking one of Marzia's limp hands in his. Brining it close to his lips, he kissed it softly, before gently placing it back at her side.  
  
Cho nodded miserably, as Sirius once again forced himself to stand. Every muscle was screaming for him to stop, to rest, but he knew he couldn't. He began walking, very shakily, towards the door. Throwing one last look over his shoulder at Marzia and Cho, he swung it open, stepping into the sunlight.  
  
Squinting his eyes, as they weren't adjusted to the brightness, Sirius forced himself forward; towards the area where he'd left the bodies of the two death eaters. He glanced around warily, praying there would be no others lurking about, and very glad for the daylight. It would be much easier to spot a person clad in a black robe now than it would be several hours from now. Nevertheless, he didn't want to stay outside any longer than necessary, and made himself move faster.  
  
The short walk across the cabin grounds took almost fifteen minutes, and when he reached his destination, he was breathing heavily and could no longer stand. He slumped to his knees beside the body of the young boy, biting his lip in pain. Sweat was dripping down his face, and he wiped it from his eyes with the back of his hand.  
  
After a long moment, Sirius was able to calm down enough so he was breathing normally again. He bent forward slightly, not allowing himself to look into the boy's lifeless eyes, and began searching his robes. Five minutes passed and still he found no floo powder, but as he shifted his position to search the older death eater, his eyes fell upon the boy's limp arm, and the wand lying in the palm of his open hand. Instinctively he reached out for it, but hesitated, his hand hovering above the boy's.  
  
"Well, he doesn't exactly need it anymore," Sirius spoke aloud, reasoning with himself. He didn't feel right about taking it, but knew the situation was too dangerous to not take advantage of this. His decision was made for him however when he heard someone moving behind him. Grasping the wand with sudden determination, he whipped his arm around turning himself, ready to attack whoever was there.  
  
A young girl, who couldn't have been older than 13 was standing in front of him. She had long sandy blonde hair that fell loosely over her shoulders and light hazel eyes. Her robes were baby blue and she was looking curiously at Sirius.  
  
"Hello," she said pleasantly, making him jump a little. He'd been unsure for a moment if she was really there or if he was so tired, his mind was playing tricks on him.  
  
"H-Hello," he replied, clearing his dry throat.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked, glancing from the wand in Sirius' hand to the two men sprawled on the ground.  
  
Sirius hesitated for a moment, before replying.  
  
"Looking for floo powder."  
  
"Are they sleeping?" the girl asked, nodding at the men.  
  
"Er.yes, they're taking a nap," Sirius replied.  
  
"Outside?" she asked, sounding skeptical.  
  
Sirius, who was getting frustrated, sighed lightly.  
  
"Yes outside, now where are your parents? Won't they be looking for you?"  
  
"Up there," the girl said, pointing up a hill in the distance.  
  
"I don't see anything." Sirius said, straining his eyes.  
  
"You can't see our house from here, but it's over that hill," the girl replied.  
  
"Oh," Sirius said, turning his attention back to the death eater. He couldn't waste any more time than he already had.  
  
"He doesn't have any," the girl said after Sirius had searched all the man's pockets.  
  
"I know," he said, trying not to sound angry. He wasn't mad at her, but upset that he'd let the situation get this bad.  
  
"I can give you some of mine," she offered, reaching into her robes and pulling out a small pouch.  
  
Sirius looked at her, smiling uncertainly. Why was someone so young carrying floo powder with them? Did her parents let her travel alone?  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked slowly. "You're parents won't mind?"  
  
"No silly, it's mine," she replied, giggling. "So is that a yes.?"  
  
"Yes, yes thank you," Sirius said quickly. Ever so slowly, he began to stand, gingerly putting weight on his legs. He still had the younger death eater's wand in his hand, and quickly shoved it into his pocket.  
  
"Are you alright?" the girl asked hesitantly, seeing clearly how much pain Sirius was in.  
  
"I'll be fine," he replied in a strained voice. He took a few tentative steps forward, and knew he would never make it back to the cabin. As he reached the girl, he stopped to ask her if she would take the floo powder up to the others, but never got the question out.  
  
Sirius was unable to speak as he looked at the girl. Her hair and robes were billowing out behind her, yet he felt no wind. However, what really caused him to worry was an aura of blue light had begun to form around her. She was looking directly into his eyes, and Sirius could not break his gaze.  
  
Suddenly he felt his legs go very cold, almost to the point of being numb. Stifling a cry, he clenched his teeth, adjusting to the new feeling. It wasn't painful, but it had come as a great surprise. The girl had crossed her arms over her chest now, and lowered her gaze to his legs. Sirius would have sworn on his father's grave she was seeing inside him, and it was strangely pleasant and discomforting all at once. The numbness began to fade almost immediately and he could feel the blood once again racing through his veins.  
  
Looking down at his legs in disbelief, he smiled to himself, before looking again at the small girl. She uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides, and blinked her eyes several times, before looking up to meet his gaze. The two of them stood facing each other, an awkward silence between them, and Sirius was first to find his voice.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked, meaning for it to sound firm, but his tone revealed he was somewhat in awe of her.  
  
The girl blushed fiercely, and she looked down at the ground.  
  
"My name is Fenestraal," she said in a softer voice than he'd heard from her so far. "But you can call me Fern, all of my friends do." she trailed off, glancing up shyly.  
  
"Okay, Fern it is," Sirius smiled. "What did you just do to me?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound rude.  
  
"You mean you don't know?" she asked, confused.  
  
"No not that," Sirius replied. "I know what you did, I guess I meant what magic did you use? I've never seen anything quite like that."  
  
"It's just something my father taught me," she said with a shrug.  
  
Sirius considered this for a minute, thinking it was possible she was telling the truth. If he'd had that kind of healing power, he would be insistent about having Harry learn it.  
  
Would you be willing to do it again?" he asked, remembering Marzia and Cho. He glanced around again, wondering why no death eaters had shown up yet.  
  
"Why?" Fern asked, cocking her head to the side questioningly.  
  
"My friends are in that cabin over there, both of them are injured," he began, "if you could help them I would be so thankful, we're really in a terrible hurry and."  
  
"I'd be glad to help you," Fern interrupted. "Lead the way." She stepped aside, gesturing with one arm for him to go first.  
  
"Thank you," he said with sincerity, meeting Fern's eyes. "I really mean it, you don't have to do this and I can't express how grateful I am."  
  
Fern blushed again, dropping her gaze.  
  
"C'mon," Sirius spoke, not wanting to take any longer. "I'll take you to them."  
  
They hiked the short distance to the cabin taking a considerably shorter amount of time than Sirius had on his way out. He opened the door quickly, glancing behind him to make sure Fern was still there, and turned around to find himself at wand point. He stopped dead in his tracks, and looked up slowly.  
  
"Sirius!" Cho cried, lowering her wand. "You scared the life out of me!" Her eyes were wide and she leaned forward, embracing him.  
  
"You knew I was coming back," he laughed, "besides I'm not the one who was holding you at the end of my wand, you did some scaring there yourself."  
  
"I'm sorry, but you could've been anyone and you've been gone so long." she trailed off catching sight of Fern. She looked from the girl to Sirius and back again.  
  
"Who's that?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"I'm Fenestraal," Fern answered cheerily. She gave Cho a wide smile and continued. "You can call me Fern though."  
  
Cho regarded Fern cautiously, glancing uncertainly at Sirius.  
  
"Why is she here?" she whispered.  
  
"I live just over the hill back that way," Fern answered before Sirius could speak. She was pointing at the back of the house.  
  
"There's nothing back there except trees," Cho spoke, keeping her tone even. "I've been coming here since I was 5, I know the land very well."  
  
"Well you must not then because I live just over the hill, my parents are there right now, want to see?" Fern asked.  
  
"No I don't," Cho answered quickly. "My family owns the land around here for miles, there's no way a house could be built so closely without us knowing about it."  
  
Fern's smile faltered as she looked directly at Cho  
  
"You're mistaken," she replied, now sounding defensive.  
  
"Look it's not worth arguing about," Sirius cut in suddenly. "We don't have time for this Cho, we should be gone already." He walked away from the two girls to wear Marzia was laying and Cho gasped.  
  
"Your legs.they're alright! How?"  
  
Sirius glanced up from where he was now kneeling at Marzia's side and nodded towards the smaller girl. "Fern is to thank for that," he replied, smiling.  
  
Cho looked again to the girl to see her smiling with pride, as if a parent had just complimented her on a good grade.  
  
"Is she?" Cho asked skeptically.  
  
"This is the other one you wanted me to help?" Fern asked, ignoring Cho and heading towards Marzia.  
  
"Yes, please, if you're able." Sirius trailed off, his eyes on Marzia's face. He looked up for a moment to see Fern looking strangely at Marzia, almost as if she recognized her. She caught Sirius staring though and quickly averted her eyes.  
  
"What's her name?" she asked softly.  
  
"Marzia," he replied.  
  
"Oh.pretty."  
  
Without another moment's hesitation, she crossed her arms over her chest and Sirius watched as she went through the same motions as she had outside with him. When she was finished, however, Marzia was still unconscious.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, worriedly. "Why didn't she."  
  
"She was hurt far more than you were," Fern cut him off. "She's alright, but it'll be a bit before she wakes up."  
  
Sirius nodded slowly, turning his attention back to Marzia as Fern stood up and faced Cho. She walked over to the older girl who was looking very distrustfully at her.  
  
"Your turn," Fern said with a smile.  
  
"No, I'm fine.not nearly hurt as much as."  
  
"But look," Fern interrupted, reaching out in a flash and grasping one of her arms. Slowly and gently, Fern traced a finger along one of the burns on Cho's wrist.  
  
"That's nothing, it'll be." she began but Fern wasn't listening. Cho looked into the younger girl's eyes, which were looking back at her, but not seeing her. She began to pull her arm back when suddenly there was a flash of light, engulfing the entire room.  
  
Sirius stood up quickly as light surrounded him. He turned towards where he though Cho had been, straining to see anything. But the light was so bright it was painful to keep his eyes open. Then as suddenly as it came on, the room began to dim and ever so slowly his eyes adjusted themselves. When everything seemed back to normal, the first thing he noticed was Cho. She was lying on the floor, one arm across her stomach, the other stretched out to her side. He knelt down at her side, and gently shook her by the shoulder.  
  
"Cho, are you alright?" he asked, concerned. "Cho?" He shook a bit harder.  
  
"Mmmm?" she stirred, tilting her head towards him. He let out an inaudible sigh of relief.  
  
"What's going on?" She asked, blinking a few times, realizing she was on the floor. "Where's Fern?"  
  
Sirius looked around quickly. In his concern for Cho, he hadn't even realized Fern was missing.  
  
"I don't know," he said, confused. "Maybe she got scared." he suggested uncertainly.  
  
"I don't think so," Cho said skeptically, sitting up. More likely she's the reason for whatever just happened, and left so we couldn't ask her what she did."  
  
"Well whatever it was, she healed you.look at your arms," Sirius said nodding.  
  
"Yeah, I guess she did," Cho mused, rubbing her wrists gently. "But something doesn't feel right about all of this."  
  
"About all of what?" a voice behind them spoke. Sirius and Cho both turned to see Marzia, leaning up on her shoulders and looking more confused than anything.  
  
Sirius was up in an instant and at her side. He leaned down, lifting her to her feet and taking her into his arms, giving her a long passionate kiss.  
  
"Not that I'm complaining," Marzia began with a wry smile as they separated, "but what was that for?"  
  
Sirius looked deeply into her eyes, feeling her warmth so close to him.  
  
"I love you," he said softly. "And I'm going to tell you that every day for the rest of our lives."  
  
Marzia flushed brilliantly, unable to keep from smiling.  
  
"You don't even have to say it for me to know." she trailed off, her eyes suddenly widening in concern. "What's happened? Where's Menetor? We need to."  
  
"He's gone," Sirius interrupted before she could get too worked up. "Cho and I tricked him into taking a one-way port key out of here."  
  
"How did you.?" she said, looking from one to the other.  
  
"Tell ya later," Sirius replied. "I guess we'll have to make another port key since." he stopped, catching sight of something near the door. Marzia looked at him quizzically as he let go and headed to where he was looking. Leaning down for a closer look, he saw Fern had dropped her bag of Floo Powder, probably on her way out.  
  
"Well, she did say we could use some.as long as we leave the rest here for her, I guess," he said, inspecting the pouch carefully.  
  
"Where are we going then?" Cho asked. "We can't get into Hogwart's unless a passage is opened in the floo network."  
  
"Are you alright?" Marzia spoke up, looking at Cho. "You look like you're going to be ill."  
  
"I feel a bit light-headed, that's all. Probably from all that light."  
  
"What light?" Marzia asked as both she and Sirius moved closer to Cho.  
  
Sirius explained as quickly as possible about running into Fern, and what she had done for them.  
  
"We're going to see a doctor then," Marzia stated. "And I want to hear more about what happened today, it seems I've missed quite a bit."  
  
"We don't have to see a doctor," Cho said, raising one of her hands to wipe the sweat that had begun to form on her face. Sirius and Marzia exchanged knowing glances and without a word, Sirius handed off the pouch of floo powder to Marzia, before stepping forward and scooping Cho up in his arms. She didn't put up any fuss over this, and leaned her head onto his shoulder, seeming exhausted. He was a bit shocked to see the burns had returned to her wrists, redder than they had previously been.  
  
Marzia stepped up to the dusty fireplace, and pulled out her wand.  
  
"Incendia."  
  
The hearth was alight immediately, and she tossed some powder into it, instantly turning the flames green.  
  
"After you," she said, stepping aside.  
  
Sirius moved forward, into the fire, and felt the familiar sensation of traveling the floo network. He emerged into the bright lights of the waiting room in a wizarding hospital in London. Half a second later, Marzia was at his side, and they headed toward the nearest nurses station, to find a doctor for Cho.  
  
~HARRY'S POV - PRESENT TIME~  
  
"They kept her there a few days," Sirius said. "Unfortunately, they couldn't tell us exactly what was wrong, she did seem to respond to some of their treatments, however. We took some floo powder from the hospital back to Hogsmeade earlier today, got our brooms from the shop we left them at, and rode here."  
  
Harry looked at his godfather in numb shock. He now knew someone else was out looking for him, most likely an ally of Voldemort. A very large someone by the way Menetor had been described. On top of that, Cho had been badly hurt, because they were trying to get to him. He looked again at her pale features and down to the burns that stood out so brightly on her fair skin.  
  
"So the doctors had no idea how to help her at all?" Harry asked, looking to Sirius  
  
"I'm sorry Harry," Sirius began, meeting his gaze. "But none of them were sure enough of what was wrong to be able to help her."  
  
Everyone looked up as the doors to the room flew open and Gazten strode in. Sirius's expression again went dark and Harry was a bit surprised to see Marzia's was the same.  
  
"Allison," Dumbledore said kindly.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," Gazten said, stopping as she neared the headmaster. She looked up at everyone in the room, before settling her gaze on Cho.  
  
"Oh my," she muttered, stepping up next to Harry and gently lifting one of Cho's wrists. Harry looked on in trepidation and hope.  
  
"Thank you for coming Allison," Dumbledore spoke sincerely, standing up and moving to the foot of the bed. "It seems our young Miss. Chang here has been seen by quite a few doctors in the past few days, and none of them seem to have been much help in figuring out why she's ill. I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on that subject?"  
  
Gazten barely nodded, as she was busy checking over Cho. She had moved from her wrists to her ears, then to her eyes, pushing the lids back gently and leaning down to get a close look at them.  
  
From there, she went back to Cho's arms and more specifically her hands. She turned over her right hand, inspecting the palm carefully.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sirius asked after a few minutes of this.  
  
"Who did this to her?" Gazten replied.  
  
"The burns?" Marzia asked, "An abnormally large man called Menetor."  
  
"No I don't mean the burns," Gazten snapped, "The burns aren't killing her, the poison, however, is." 


	11. Chapter 11

"What?!" Harry and Sirius both exclaimed. "Are you sure?" Sirius asked. "Because we've had quite a few doctors examine her over the past few days, none of them found any traces of poison."  
  
Everyone looked to Gazten, waiting for the answer.  
  
"That's because no doctor, or any other witch or wizard from this realm, would be able to catch it. This type of poison is hidden so well, you'd never know it was there by any amount of testing. The only way it's able to be discovered is by scent, and even then only if you know the scent."  
  
"Can you help her?" Harry asked Gazten anxiously, cutting Sirius off as he opened his mouth to reply.  
  
"Yes," Gazten smiled reassuringly. "This poison is very slow-acting, and thankfully she's only been this way a few days."  
  
Harry lifted Cho's limp, cold hand, and held it in both of his.  
  
"Please do it," he whispered. "Please help her, now."  
  
"Why is it that she was poisoned and we weren't," Sirius spoke up loudly before Gazten could make a move. "The three of us were all fighting against Menetor at one point or another."  
  
"Menetor didn't do this," Gazten explained. "He's never one to use poison. He prefers physical attacks and torture above all else."  
  
"You seem to know a lot about him." Sirius said, guardedly.  
  
"That's because he's from Faerun."  
  
"What about that girl?" Hermione spoke up, hesitantly. "I think it sounds a bit odd that she just sort of showed up when you needed her to." she trailed off as everyone became quiet and looked to her.  
  
"What girl?" Gazten asked, immediately, her eyes flickering to Sirius.  
  
"But she was helping us," Sirius said, hurriedly. "Why would she heal Marzia and I and poison Cho? That makes no sense."  
  
"From what you said," Harry spoke up, somewhat testily, "Cho didn't seem to trust her very much." He was avoiding Sirius' eyes and hurt that his godfather seemed more concerned with proving Gazten wrong than helping Cho.  
  
"What girl?" Gazten repeated, calmly.  
  
Sirius lowered his head, realizing what he'd been doing.  
  
"She was a young girl, maybe 13 or 14 years old, said she lived a short distance from Cho's cabin. Her name was Fern."  
  
"Fern?" Gazten asked in alarm. "As in Fenestraal?"  
  
Sirius looked up abruptly.  
  
"How did you know.?"  
  
"Did she touch you or Marzia?" Gazten asked, brushing off his question.  
  
Sirius hesitated, trying to remember correctly.  
  
"No." he said at last. "I don't recall that she did."  
  
"But I bet she got to Cho," Gazten continued, looking back at the still form on the bed. "She's the one who did this."  
  
Sirius stared at her for a moment, uncertainly.  
  
"I think it would be best," Dumbledore spoke up after a period of silence, "that you take care of Miss Chang first, if you would Allison. Then we can discuss what has happened."  
  
Less than an hour later, everyone except Marzia was sitting in Dumbledore's office. Gazten had healed Cho in much the same way she had done for Ron. The burns were completely gone from her wrists as if they'd never been there at all, and she felt well rested.  
  
Harry had been too relieved to speak when he saw her awake and smiling at him. All he could do was take her in his arms and hold her.  
  
Dumbledore had suggested, upon seeing Cho was indeed perfectly alright, that they adjourn to his office to discuss what had happened further. Due to the fact that Harry and the others had been present for Sirius' explanation, he thought it best they now hear what Gazten had to tell them. The best way to fight an enemy is to know as much as possible about them.  
  
Marzia declined the invitation, respectfully, which seemed to surprise Sirius and it certainly did Harry. However, neither he nor Hermione failed to notice Ron's relief that she was leaving.  
  
When the seven of them were settled into the office, Dumbledore spoke first.  
  
"Allison, I'd like to hear everything you can tell us about Menetor and Fenestraal. I am familiar with both of those names, however I would very much like for you to explain what you know about them."  
  
Gazten threw a brief glance around the room, before nodding at the headmaster.  
  
"Menetor and Fenestraal are two of the six evil Entities. The Entities were once normal inhabitants of Faerun, whose powers surpassed the normal limits of our kind. Menetor is known as the Lord of Pain. He takes pleasure in the screams and pleas for mercy of his helpless victims. As you know, he's rather large, about twelve feet tall. He uses the whip more than any other hand-held weapon, but usually to capture a victim, rarely to use it on them. He has the power to cause you pain by getting into your mind, and can make you feel any form of torture he wishes. You will believe you're tied down to hot coals or that you're strung up by your thumbs several feet in the air, if he wishes you to believe it. The physical exhaustion you'll suffer when he's finished with you, is equal to what you'd experience if these things were truly done to you. Ruthless and cruel to his very soul, if he even has one."  
  
Gazten paused for a moment, glancing around at the horrified expressions on the faces of the students, and briefly, at Sirius and Dumbledore, both of whom waited for her to continue.  
  
"Fenestraal is known as the Lady of Disease. She can inflict any illness upon you by merely brushing up against you. Poisons are her favorite, however, especially those that are slow-acting. She takes the most pleasure in seeing a victim who knows there is something wrong with them, but can do nothing to stop it. Now she appeared to you as a little girl, which is one of her more common forms, though she does possess the ability to change. She usually will try to appear innocent and helpless, to keep her victims unsuspecting. If you see her carrying a weapon, it will most likely be a dagger, though she too rarely uses it on potential victims, preferring to leave them dying with any number of incurable afflictions."  
  
"So those are the two we ran into," Sirius spoke up as she finished speaking. "But you said there were six Entities, right? Who and what are the others?"  
  
"The others are just as powerful and just as dangerous. They are called Elri'kah, Rolisch'kah, Draam, and Saaneeraa. Elri'kah is the Lord of Destruction. Another very large one who likes to carry a great battle axe wherever he goes, and trust me, he likes to make use of it. In no way can he pass for human, as his skin is gray in color and he has two large horns on his head. Unlike the others, he prefers to do damage with his hands rather than use magic, but if it comes down to it, he can unleash such power that it will level a city."  
  
"Rolisch'kah is the Lord of the Dark. Also unable to pass for a human, he is a pool of blackness that can take any shape, but never any form. The only part of him that isn't black are his two silver eyes. He doesn't use any weapon, as he prefers to use magic for anything he sets out to accomplish. One interesting fact, however, is he cannot stand even the smallest amount of light and sunlight especially, will diminish his powers greatly."  
  
"Draam is the Lord of the Undead, usually appearing as a rotting body, with decaying flesh that sloughs off and renews. He carries a club, which he will not hesitate to use. His powers only take effect on those he has killed, as he is undead, himself. Once he has killed a victim, he has free reign over their soul and can use it in any way he wishes. He can also inhabit the bodies of those he's slaughtered."  
  
"The last, and most dangerous, of the six Entities, is Saaneeraa, the Lady of Corruption or the Shadow Behind. Her desire is to control the lives of others through trickery and mental domination. She takes pleasure in causing pain by turning loved ones against one another, each of them believing something was said or done by the other, when it's only what she wanted them to believe."  
  
Gazten paused here, taking a breath and looking around the room, finally resting her eyes on Harry.  
  
"If Voldemort truly has allied himself with all six of these Entities, then you are in more danger than ever. Not one among them has the slightest concern for whom they may hurt to get to you either. The only thing in our favor is they are all enemies of one another, and will never work together even when their goal is a common one."  
  
"If they're truly as powerful as you're telling us," Sirius spoke up, "then why haven't any of them attacked the school yet?"  
  
"As I said, they refuse to work together, not even Voldemort can convince them to do so. Whether it's their own foolish pride or some other reason, this hatred goes back a very long way. If one of them seems to be getting close to their goal, one of the others will take time to try and prevent that from happening, rather than continuing with their own scheme. As for why they haven't attacked the school, well it seems at least one of them has, in a way. Percy Weasley was being controlled, something that each one of them has the power to do. The magic he was using against the boys, and what caused the burns on both Ron and Cho, can only be used by someone from Faerun, with very few exceptions."  
  
"But why were they after Cho?" Harry asked looking at Gazten, before turning to face his girlfriend.  
  
Cho stared back at Harry, looking indecisive.  
  
"Miss Chang," Dumbledore spoke kindly. "We have yet to hear your part of this story, do you feel up to explaining it to us?"  
  
Cho met Dumbledore's eyes evenly, then turned to face Harry. He gave her a reassuring nod, reaching out and taking her hands in his. Sighing softly, and looking down to the floor, Cho began to speak.  
  
"I don't know how everything got out of hand like this. Just over a month ago, I happened to overhear Mr. Thurston having a hushed discussion with another man, whose voice I can only say belonged to another minister, though I'm not sure whose. I was only passing by; would have thought nothing of it and continued on my way, but he mentioned Harry's name, so I stopped. I couldn't hear everything as they were speaking in very low voices as it was, but what I managed to get out of it was the Dementors of Azkaban were no longer under the ministry's control, and that Voldemort had taken over the prison."  
  
She paused looking deeply into Harry's eyes, before continuing.  
  
"They knew, Harry. They knew he was sending them for you, and they weren't going to warn anyone. No one at Hogwart's, or anywhere else for that matter. They were going to pretend it didn't happen."  
  
"Did they know you heard them?" Ron asked.  
  
Cho nodded in disgust.  
  
"I was a fool, too busy trying to hear what they were saying to pay attention to what was going on around me. Several ministers that are always very close to Thurston came up behind me, asking what I thought I was doing. I tried to make it look as though I'd just arrived, to ask Mr. Thurston a question, but they didn't believe me. They made enough of a clamor for Thurston and the other minister to come into the hall. I wouldn't admit I'd overheard anything, but all of them knew. To tell you the truth, I was a bit taken aback they let me walk away from there. But I wasn't going to push my luck. I sent that letter to you and left as quickly as possible."  
  
"Then why didn't I get the letter until a week ago?" Harry wondered aloud.  
  
"I'd like to know that too," Cho replied.  
  
"Well I'd like to know a great deal more than just that!" Hermione spoke up. "How about why didn't Cho's parents realize something was wrong? Why were they acting so strangely? Why did Menetor and Fenestraal both go after her and why does Voldemort want her dead?"  
  
Cho paled noticeably at Hermione's last question and sank back into the chair. Hermione blushed and looked at the floor.  
  
"I didn't mean it to come out like that." she trailed off, unable to meet Cho's eyes or face the glare Harry was giving her.  
  
"No matter how much we may not want to face this," Dumbledore spoke softly, "Miss Granger's questions are all very valid. It does in fact seem a bit too strange that Voldemort would go after Miss Chang without a reason."  
  
A thoughtful silence fell over the room, until Ron cleared his throat.  
  
"Er.I don't know how to say this, but.he wouldn't do it just to.um.well, to."  
  
"Hurt Harry?" Sirius asked, guessing exactly where the question was going.  
  
"Yes," Ron whispered, staring at his shoes.  
  
Harry had been wondering this all along, but didn't want to voice his concern; it would make it too real. Now that it had been done, however, he couldn't even bring himself to look at Cho. Why did this keep happening to him? Could anyone ever be close to him without putting themselves in danger?  
  
"I wouldn't put it past Voldemort to do something so horribly cruel as that," Dumbledore said grimly. "However, if that was his intention, then I would think he would have had Menetor take care of that horrible deed at the cabin. Did he say anything to you Miss Chang? Anything that might help us figure this out."  
  
Cho sat up slowly, nodding her head.  
  
"He wanted to know if I was the defender. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, but he did.didn't believe." she trailed off, and was shaking terribly. Harry immediately pulled her close to him, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"It's alright," he murmured. "You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."  
  
"It hurt more than anything I've ever felt before," she continued, trying to keep her voice under control, "I thought my head would burst from the pain.no matter how many times I told him I didn't know.or asked him to explain.he just wouldn't!" she cried, bringing her hand up to her face, she buried her head in Harry's neck, and wept.  
  
Harry looked helplessly at Cho, he knew at that moment he would die before letting anyone try to harm her ever again. Feeling anger rising within him, he raised his head to look at Sirius, Gazten and Dumbledore.  
  
"What can we do to stop these things?" he asked. "How do we fight them?"  
  
Dumbledore stood slowly, and moved to the center of the room.  
  
"Mr. Potter, we are all upset and angry over what has happened, but no one is going to be rushing into any fights. When more is known about the Entities we will tell you everything you will need to defend yourself. All the students will have to be prepared for any possibility."  
  
"I don't think there are going to be any attacks on the school, not yet anyway," Gazten spoke up.  
  
"What makes you so sure of that?" Sirius asked, looking disbelievingly at her. "Menetor seemed quite anxious to take the port key here if it would lead him to Harry. Not to mention it seems they're looking for Cho as well, and both of them are right here."  
  
"I realize that," Gazten replied evenly. "But if they were going to attack the school they would have already. No, they're looking for something else.and they're not going to make their move until they've found it."  
  
"So what, we just wait for them to get their information together before we worry about any of this? I don't think that's the best idea." Sirius spoke, condescendingly.  
  
"No," Gazten said, now a bit annoyed. "We need to find out what they want to know, get the answers they're looking for before they do. I'm not saying we can all relax either, it's quite possibly they will try to get Harry or Cho out of the school and hold them until they have the information they're looking for."  
  
Harry felt very confused and had the distinct impression Gazten knew more than she was letting on.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Sirius exclaimed. "We're going to base everything on your assumption that they're not going to make a move until they have more answers? Answers to what?"  
  
Gazten hesitated for a moment, looking indecisive. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again quickly, and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, if I did, we'd be one step ahead of them, wouldn't we?"  
  
"If that's even what they're." Sirius began.  
  
"That's quite enough, both of you," Dumbledore interceded, giving them a pointed look. "We can discuss this later."  
  
Harry looked at his godfather, who clearly did not want to end this conversation, but wasn't going to argue with the headmaster. Gazten on the other hand looked more than relieved Dumbledore hadn't asked her to explain further.  
  
"I need to talk to my parents," Cho spoke up suddenly, startling Harry. "I need to make sure they're okay. Someone must've."  
  
"Miss Chang, we will contact your parents together, I promise you," Dumbledore said kindly.  
  
"They should be fine," Gazten said, giving Cho a reassuring smile. "It sounds like they were only being used to stall Sirius and Marzia, no harm was done to them."  
  
Harry didn't know why, but he believed Gazten. She wasn't there to see what had happened but yet somehow what she was saying felt like it was the truth. Sirius, however, was glaring suspiciously at her, obviously feeling very much the opposite.  
  
Cho simply nodded.  
  
"I think you need to rest," Harry said quietly to her. "I'm sure you're parents are fine, and you can talk to them tomorrow morning."  
  
She looked up to meet his eyes, smiling gratefully, before turning to the headmaster. "Um.is it alright that I stay here?"  
  
Dumbledore chuckled, lightly.  
  
"My dear child, I wouldn't have you go anywhere else. Of course you will be staying here, until this situation is under control, I insist on it."  
  
Cho smiled and nodded, thanking the headmaster, who nodded once in return.  
  
"I will have a room prepared for you now, it will be ready when you arrive," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Is it alright if I walk her there?" Harry asked, knowing how no one seemed to like the idea of him walking alone in the corridors.  
  
Sirius looked as if he were going to forbid this, but the pleading look Harry was giving him was enough to make him give in.  
  
"You are to stay in the room with her until I come to get you, understood? I don't mind you going together but you're not coming back alone." Sirius said, trying to sound authoritative but smiling just the same.  
  
Harry grinned, widely.  
  
"I promise," he replied.  
  
Helping Cho to her feet, he told his friends he'd meet them back in the common room, before the two of them exited the office together and headed off towards the guest rooms.  
  
For a few moments, they held hands and walked in silence. Harry kept glancing at Cho, incredibly relieved at how well she looked now, when just over two hours ago she was pale and limp. Suddenly he realized he was staring at her, and she had caught him doing so. He lowered his eyes, feeling his face flush, as she giggled softly.  
  
"It's okay you know, you can look at me," she said, giving his hand a light squeeze.  
  
"I know," Harry said with a small grin, bringing his head up to meet her gaze. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her smile. It had always been the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked at last, searching her eyes; needing to hear her say it.  
  
Cho nodded slightly.  
  
"I'm not in pain anymore," she said quietly. "Though I'm so confused about what's happening. Do you think Dumbledore will be able to find anything out soon?"  
  
"I hope so," Harry said, uncertainly. "It's just that every time we think we know what's going on.some new problem presents itself. This time, it's the Entities."  
  
Cho shuddered, involuntarily and moved closer to Harry. He put his arm around her, drawing her into his warmth, comforting her.  
  
"We have to find out who the defender is," she said after a brief silence. "That's who Menetor was looking for, who he thought I was. But a defender of what?"  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"I don't know. What bothers me is why did he only try and question you about it? Fenestraal never mentioned anything about a defender to you, but tried to kill you. Now if they truly don't work together, than Menetor would never have told her what he'd been told. So if they really needed information they thought you had, why would she poison you and never try to find it out?"  
  
Cho didn't have an answer; she shook her head in confusion and sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. They finished the walk without any more talking and reached the guest rooms. Harry didn't want to think about the last time he was here, only a week ago. The large door opened as soon as they were in front of it, and Harry moved aside, allowing Cho to enter first, before stepping in behind her.  
  
"Which room did he say I'm in?" Cho asked, looking around uncertainly.  
  
"He just said one would be made up for you.so I guess we have to look," Harry replied. He headed for the first doorway, Cho close behind him. As he reached out his hand for the latch, he stopped abruptly, every muscle in his body going tense. The latch was slowly turning itself. Harry stepped back, pulling out his wand and Cho did the same. Slowly, they watched and waited, as the door swung open.  
  
The door opened fully and Harry held his breath, not knowing who or what to expect. However, he let it out in a sigh of relief when he saw who stepped out.  
  
"Dobby!" He and Cho exclaimed, very happy to see him.  
  
"Harry Potter!" Dobby cried excitedly, racing forward and throwing his arms forcefully around Harry's knees in a fierce hug.  
  
Harry twirled his arms slightly; unable to move his legs to catch his balance and Cho grabbed an arm to steady him.  
  
"You know, in hindsight, I should've expected that," he whispered to her, rolling his eyes. She stifled a laugh as Dobby released Harry and looked up at them.  
  
"Hello Harry Potter's friend Cho!" he said pleasantly as he noticed her.  
  
"Hello Dobby," Cho replied smiling.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked him, putting his wand back into his robes.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore asked Dobby to prepare a guest room and Dobby did as he was asked," he replied, proudly.  
  
"Thank you Dobby," Cho said. "That's the room I'm staying in."  
  
The small house elf looked up at her with delight, quite happy to have prepared the room for someone Harry considered important. The three of them stood in an awkward silence for a brief moment, until Harry cleared his throat.  
  
"Well," he began, "It's getting late."  
  
"And I'm sure you must be tired after tidying up the guest room," Cho continued, looking at Dobby. "You probably want to get some sleep."  
  
"Dobby isn't tired!" the house elf exclaimed, laughing, as if the very idea of sleep were simply ridiculous. "House elves no not sleep as much as masters do!" he explained.  
  
"Oh," Harry said. "You must get a lot accomplished because of that."  
  
Dobby nodded emphatically.  
  
"Yes, yes!" he said. "And now Dobby is going to see what he can do to help the in the kitchen."  
  
As if on cue, Harry felt a rumbling in his stomach and remembered he had not eaten since breakfast. Glancing at Cho, he saw she was just as hungry as he.  
  
"Um.Dobby?" Harry started. "I know dinner is over.but if it wouldn't be too much trouble.could I ask you to."  
  
"Harry Potter and his friend is hungry?" Dobby asked, seeing the two of them holding their stomachs. "Dobby will be happy to bring food!" he exclaimed, bouncing on his feet and clapping his hands. Harry couldn't help but laugh over how much excitement the little elf got out of doing chores, especially when they were for him. He watched as Dobby scampered to the door and out into the hall, before turning to face Cho.  
  
"Well, shall we then?" he asked, gesturing towards the door to her room. Stepping ahead of her, he pushed the door open and stood to the side, allowing her to enter first.  
  
"Thank you kind sir," she said playfully as she passed him.  
  
"Wow," Harry said, pulling the door shut behind him, "this is really nice. Much nicer than the last one I was in, at least," he said with a shudder.  
  
"What do you mean?" Cho asked. "What's happened?"  
  
Harry looked at her for a moment; just now realizing Cho knew nothing about the actual attack by the dementors or the incident with Percy.  
  
"Here, we'd better sit down," he began, taking her gently by the arm and leading her to the couch. "There's a lot to explain."  
  
Harry told Cho all that had happened since he last wrote to her, stopping only when Dobby came to deliver their dinner. They both thanked him, very grateful to him for going out of his way. He left them to their meal, very proud of himself for what he'd done.  
  
When Harry finished his story, ending with the discussion in Dumbledore's office on the morning after Halloween, the food was almost completely gone and they were both more than full.  
  
"I can't believe this," Cho mused as she sat back in the cushy sofa.  
  
"You're not the only one," Harry said grimly, shaking his head in disgust. "We can't keep playing these games and following the little traps Voldemort sets up. He's using people, using my friends, just to get to me. I'd rather face him than have anyone hurt in my place."  
  
"Don't think like that," Cho said sitting up, placing a hand gently on his arm. "What choice do we have but to figure out what his plan is? There's no way we're going to beat him if we don't know how."  
  
"Well.I can think of one way," Harry said in a low voice.  
  
Cho looked at him, worried, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"If it looks like we're not gonna win this time, which is seeming more and more like what's going to happen, I can turn myself over to him."  
  
"Harry." Cho began fretfully, "You can't just."  
  
"Think about it!" he cut her off. "I'm the one he wants. If I give up, he'll stop going after all of you. You'll be safe, free to do what you want without any fear that someone's going to come after you.or try to kill you.because of me."  
  
"I will never let you do it," Cho said with angry determination. "You really think he'd just leave everyone alone after he got you? No! He'd keep terrorizing every innocent person that crossed his path. That's what he was doing before he lost his powers. What makes you think he isn't going to do the same exact thing?"  
  
Harry looked at her, feeling confusion and fear. He could never allow anyone to harm any of his friends ever again, but what she was saying was true.  
  
"The only way to keep everyone safe is to make sure he never gets his hands on you again," Cho continued, in a more soothing voice now. "We have to take his power away, but this time for good."  
  
"But how can we do that?" Harry asked dejectedly. "The only reason he lost his powers last time, is because my.my mother.died." he broke off, feeling a lump in his throat, but he wasn't going to cry, not in front of Cho. He had to stay strong.  
  
"Harry," Cho said sadly, "I know we've never talked much about your parents, and I know the reason why. And while it probably doesn't mean very much now, I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to comprehend what you're feeling, but I'm always here if you need anyone to talk to.or just to be with." she trailed off as he raised his eyes to meet hers.  
  
Leaning forward, Harry pulled Cho into his embrace, holding her tight to him. He was overcome with emotions, worrying about her safety, wanting only to protect her. She pulled back slightly, moving her face close to his, their lips met, and they kissed. Gently at first, but slowly becoming passionate. It would have continued for a long time, had they not heard someone enter the room. Pulling away from one another abruptly, they looked towards the door.  
  
Sirius cleared his throat, smiling widely at Harry.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt.no make that very sorry," he laughed. "But it's getting late and I'm afraid you'll have to end your visit here."  
  
Harry nodded at his godfather, wanting to stay, but knowing it would not be allowed. Leaning back towards Cho, he kissed her one more time.  
  
"Good night," he whispered softly into her ear before he stood to go.  
  
"Sweet dreams," she replied, not letting go of his hand until the last possible second. Their fingertips brushed as Harry finally turned away, heading to the door. Sirius shook his head, smiling knowingly, before exiting the room. Harry stepped out a moment later, shutting the door softly behind him.  
  
For a few moments, they walked in silence, Harry thinking about all of the day's events, but looked up as he heard Sirius speak.  
  
"Well done," his godfather said, a proud look on his face. "You truly are your father's son." Harry laughed, a real laugh. Here they were in what was probably going to be the hardest time of any of their lives, and he was feeling only happiness at that moment. He loved Cho; he knew it in his soul. Being with her made him happier than anything else in the world. Having her back in the school, where they were always near to each other, only comforted him more, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances.  
  
"Yes your father never was one to disappoint a lady, of course he had one of the best instructors in the world," Sirius said, looking smugly at his godson.  
  
"Who, Remus?" Harry asked, forcing a puzzled expression.  
  
"Oooh.I'll remember that," Sirius said, playfully jabbing Harry in the ribs.  
  
"Hey!" Harry exclaimed laughing and moving to block his godfather. "Well who else would he learn it from?" he asked, refusing to let up. "I mean, from what I've heard Remus always was a hit with the ladies." he trailed off, completely enjoying the look of horror on Sirius' face.  
  
"I bet Remus was the one to tell you that too, wasn't he? C'mon out with it.that liar, I'm going to have a little talk with him."  
  
Harry doubled over in laughter, watching Sirius get all worked up. He opened his mouth to egg him on further, when he saw something move further up the hall. For a moment he froze, unable to see clearly in the shadows, but relaxed almost immediately after, seeing the familiar form for the third time that evening.  
  
"Dobby," Harry said as they came closer to each other. "Where are you off to now?"  
  
Looking as excited as ever about being in Harry's presence, the house elf answered.  
  
"Dobby needs to pick up trays from Harry Potter's dinner. Is okay?" he asked.  
  
"Yes it's okay," Harry replied, nodding. "Thank you again for bringing it to us, we really appreciate it."  
  
"No, no, no.it is Dobby's pleasure," he replied quickly, putting up his little arms. "Is there anything else Harry Potter wishes of Dobby?" he asked, wide-eyed.  
  
"No Dobby, but thank you," Harry said, smiling. He moved aside, letting the house elf pass and began walking with Sirius again, when suddenly an idea struck him.  
  
"Dobby!" he called, spinning around and trotting back the way he'd just come.  
  
Dobby turned instantly upon hearing his name, waiting eagerly for whatever Harry had to say to him.  
  
"There is one thing I'd like you to do, if you can," Harry said, kneeling down so he was at eye-level with the short elf.  
  
"Dobby will be happy to do whatever Harry Potter wishes of him," he said anxiously.  
  
"You said you don't get much sleep and that you were probably just going to help out in the kitchen. If they really don't need you there, it would mean a lot to me if you could watch over Cho. You know, like guard her room, make sure she's safe. Would you do that for me?" he asked, hopefully. He was never sure exactly how strong Dobby's powers were, but he never forgot him blasting Lucius Malfoy down the stairs at the end of his second year. Hermione had told him they knew a great deal of powerful magic as well.  
  
"Dobby would be honored to do this for Harry Potter!" he said, breathlessly. Harry smiled widely at the house elf.  
  
"Thank you," he said meaningfully, nodding once. He stood up slowly, and watched Dobby run off to attend to his new task, before heading back to where Sirius stood waiting for him.  
  
"He really admires you," Sirius commented as they were walking side by side again. "Though he can be overly dramatic at times," he laughed.  
  
Harry grinned.  
  
"I know, but I don't think he realizes it."  
  
"Well, the important thing is you don't take advantage of him. He would do anything for you and you know it. Some people in your situation would love to have that opportunity."  
  
"But, what about people who own house elves?" Harry asked. "Don't they have the same chance?"  
  
"Not exactly," Sirius said, sounding doubtful. "They have control to the point where the house elf is a servant, but they can't force them to use their magic for other things. That is always up to the elf."  
  
"Oh," Harry said, still a bit confused, but feeling he was too tired to really understand clearly. By the time they reached the portrait of the fat lady he was yawning regularly, and could only think of his bed. Saying goodnight to Sirius, he entered the common room, and headed straight for the stairs. Once in his dorm, he changed quickly and climbed comfortably between the soft sheets, falling almost immediately into a deep slumber.  
  
The next day, Harry awoke to silence. Slowly, he forced himself into a sitting position, wanting badly to slump back into the comfortable pillow, but he also wanted to see Cho. Reaching over to the bedside table, he grabbed his glasses and pocket watch. It was just past 10 am, still enough time to have breakfast with her. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stood up, and headed for his closet. After changing quickly, he headed down to the common room, looking for his friends.  
  
"Morning Harry!" Ron smiled catching sight of his friend. "We were just heading down to breakfast, you want to come?" he asked.  
  
"Hey Ron," Harry said pleasantly. "I'll meet you guys there, I want to see Cho first."  
  
"How is she?" Hermione asked, stepping up next to Ron.  
  
"She's much better health-wise," Harry answered. "But very shaken up over all that's happened, and I can't say I blame her. I want to know what's going on, and who this 'defender' is."  
  
He looked at his friend's worried expressions, and sighed.  
  
"Well for right now I'm just going to see her, like I said I'll meet you in the great hall," he said turning away.  
  
As the portrait closed behind him, Harry shook his head sadly. He wanted to go back in time, back to when life was simpler. No, he thought ironically, life had never been simple. Before he knew he was a wizard he'd get in trouble for things he didn't do, only now he knew he actually was the cause of them, however indirectly. Then he finally escaped the misery that was the Dursley's, only to find out he was a famous wizard ever since he was 1 year old, and the dark wizard he'd defeated wanted his revenge.  
  
Sighing inwardly, he walked on until he reached the guest rooms, saying the password and stepping into the hallway beyond.  
  
Dobby, true to his word, was standing upright, just in front of Cho's door. When he saw Harry, his eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.  
  
"Hello Dobby," Harry said cheerfully as the house elf beamed at him.  
  
"Dobby did as Harry Potter asked! Dobby did stand here all night!"  
  
"I see that," Harry smiled, "Thank you, I truly mean it."  
  
If it was possible for house elves to blush, than that's what Dobby was doing. He lowered his eyes as his cheeks darkened and Harry had to stifle a laugh. He didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it looked rather comical.  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna go inside there now, but maybe I'll see you later?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, yes! Dobby will come again tonight!" Dobby said excitedly. He hugged Harry around the legs, but not quite so fiercely this time, before turning away and scampering out the door. Harry chuckled watching the small house elf go, before grabbing the handle and pushing the door open.  
  
The room was quite dim, the curtains were all pulled and the candles were out. As quietly as possible, Harry tiptoed across the room to the bedroom door. Slowly he turned the latch until hearing the click, before nudging the door inward. He could see Cho, fast asleep in the bed on the far side of the room, and quietly slipped in. As he came up to the side of the bed, he couldn't help but stare. She looked beautiful. Her long dark hair was splayed everywhere, over the pillow, on her shoulder and across her face. He reached down and gently brushed it away from her soft skin. She didn't even flinch, still in a deep sleep. He decided it would be best to let her stay that way, not wanting to disturb her. Stepping backwards, he made his way again to the door, and shut it quietly behind him.  
  
"That was quick. What, Cho wasn't hungry?" Ron asked as Harry sat down across from him at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Nah, she's still asleep," Harry replied as his plate filled up in front of him. "I didn't want to wake her, she probably really needs it."  
  
"I believe it," Hermione spoke up from next to Ron.  
  
"I told her everything," Harry continued. "Everything that happened with the Dementors, Percy, Neville, Gazten.everything."  
  
"Even about." Hermione began, looking around cautiously, "about Lunis?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"She already knew about it, but I told her what I left out of the letter."  
  
"How did she take it?" Hermione asked.  
  
"We didn't get to talk much about it last night," Harry replied. "It was too late by the time we finished dinner, which is why I wanted to see her this morning." he trailed off, pulling out his watch.  
  
"You've been here for all of five minutes Harry," Ron said with a laugh, "take it easy. You have all day to talk to her."  
  
Harry looked up sheepishly.  
  
"I know, I just really want to."  
  
"Hey," a voice from behind him said. Harry turned to see Mel stop at his side. "How are you? Is your girlfriend alright?" she asked.  
  
"How do you know about that?" Ron asked, confused.  
  
"I was with Mel yesterday when Hermione told me about Cho," Harry explained quickly, before turning back around. "Yes, she's much better, thank you," he smiled. Mel nodded.  
  
"Great, that's wonderful."  
  
Harry slid over a bit, gesturing with his hands to the empty space next to him.  
  
"Do you want to sit? Have you eaten yet?"  
  
Mel took the seat, thanking Harry.  
  
"Yes I did, I only came over here to make sure everything was okay. You looked so upset yesterday." she trailed off.  
  
Harry lowered his gaze, somewhat embarrassed.  
  
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," he said. "Just glad everything turned out okay."  
  
Mel smiled, and opened her mouth to speak again, when another voice interrupted.  
  
"Harry, it's almost 11 o'clock!" Ron said, standing up. "We've got quidditch practice today."  
  
Harry laughed to himself.  
  
"Well, we better get going then, can't believe I forgot about that."  
  
He turned to Mel.  
  
"Sorry to cut this short again, maybe I'll run into you on your next trip to the owlery," he joked.  
  
"Yeah we do seem to meet up there a lot, don't we?" she asked, smiling. "Have fun!"  
  
Harry waved as he and Ron headed for the door. Quidditch practice was just what he needed right now, as good a way as any for getting his mind off things. Quickly grabbing their brooms from the dorm, they left the school and headed down to the pitch.  
  
"Great job guys," Harry told the rest of the team as they set down on the ground after a long practice session. "We're set to win the match against Ravenclaw in two weeks, no problem. You've got the techniques we've practiced down pat, just a bit more fine tuning and it's in the bag."  
  
"Now all we have to worry about is that new seeker," Ginny commented as they began heading back up to the school.  
  
"Sara Delix, it's her first year playing, but I've heard she's really good," Ron added.  
  
"She is really good," came a familiar voice from behind them.  
  
"Cho," Harry said, turning around and smiling. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Came to watch your practice. I ran into Hermione and she told me where you were," she replied before turning to the others. "Hey Ron, hey Ginny," she said nodding.  
  
"So what do you know about her?" Ron asked, eager for anything that might help against the opposition.  
  
"Well she's been our reserve seeker since her second year, I always practiced with her and really I don't know which of us was better. She caught the snitch just as many times as I did, and she practices every chance she gets."  
  
"Wow," Harry said quietly, "and you weren't easy to beat to the snitch either. This might be tougher than I thought."  
  
"Ravenclaw's your first match I take it?" Cho asked. The three of them nodded in unison. "Hmmm.who to root for.tough one." she said, stroking her chin and looking at Harry teasingly. She had to stifle a laugh at the hurt expression on his face.  
  
"Oh stop.crybaby," she said elbowing him playfully. "You know I'm cheering for Gryffindor."  
  
Harry smiled contentedly as they went inside.  
  
Ron and Ginny headed off for the tower to put their brooms away, Harry and Cho followed, but at a slower pace.  
  
"I have to go meet Professor Dumbledore," Cho said as they walked through the halls. "We're going to try and get in touch with my parents."  
  
"That's great," Harry said, "I'll come with you."  
  
"No, no," Cho said apologetically. "Thank you, but not this time. I don't know what's going on with them and for right now, I want to have as few people there as possible. I actually wanted to go to their house, but Dumbledore didn't think it would be safe for me to do that yet. So for now, I'm just gonna talk to them."  
  
"Okay," Harry said, "whatever you think is best. Can we meet later on?" he asked.  
  
Cho smiled.  
  
"Yes, definitely. How about I meet you for dinner, in the great hall? I really want to talk about what you told me last night. If that's okay."  
  
"Of course it is," Harry smiled. "I'll see you later then."  
  
Cho nodded and turned away, heading towards Dumbledore's office eagerly. Harry wanted to be there with her, but if she wanted to do this alone, he wasn't going to stop her. And if anything she found out was upsetting, he'd be there for her when she returned.  
  
As he entered the common room the first thing he noticed was a large crowd of students hovering around something on the wall to the left. Spotting Ron and Hermione in their usual corner, he moved around the crowd and to the back of the room.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked as he reached his friends.  
  
"Looks like there's another Yule Ball," Hermione said, gesturing to the group of students who were slowly dispersing back through the room. Harry could now see an announcement tacked to the wall. The ball would be on Christmas Night.  
  
"Which means," Ron began, sighing, "There's gonna be a lot more students here over the holiday then usual."  
  
"You say that like it's bad thing," Hermione said.  
  
"Well it is, I enjoy being in the school without running into Malfoy."  
  
"Maybe he won't go this year," Harry suggested sliding into one of the chairs.  
  
"One can only hope," Ron muttered before looking over at his friend. "So will you be asking Cho.seeing as she'll most likely be here for Christmas."  
  
"Yes," Harry said, smiling. As much as he hated what had happened to bring Cho here, it would be nice to have her at his side for the last dance he'd attend as a student.  
  
"Did you hear that?" Hermione asked, looking pointedly at Ron. "He said 'yes'.he's going to ask her. You might want to follow his lead."  
  
"Oh come off it Hermione, why should I when.?"  
  
"Because it's polite.and I want you to," she replied.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes as Harry looked back and forth between them, questioningly.  
  
"Did I miss something?" he asked.  
  
"Hermione thinks I should ask her to the dance," Ron explained. "But if she's really my girlfriend, as she claims to be, then why ask? Everyone expects we're going together anyway."  
  
Harry looked at Ron in amazement, shaking his head.  
  
"I'm warning you Ronald Weasley," Hermione began, "I'm going with the first person to ask me.whether it's you or not."  
  
Ron looked at her, annoyed before turning to Harry.  
  
"Is Cho like this? You see what I have to put up with?"  
  
"Asking your girlfriend to a dance is not the worst thing I could request of you," Hermione snapped.  
  
"Okay," Harry said holding up his hands defensively and standing. "I'm staying out of this one. You two fight it out; I'll be upstairs.doing.something." he said stepping backwards. Turning around quickly, he headed straight for the stairs and up to his dorm. Ron and Hermione could fight about the stupidest things, and he'd learned early on, the worst thing he could do would be to side with one of them, so he politely declined to offer his opinion when things started heating up, and usually ended up exactly where he was now.  
  
Having a few hours still before dinner, Harry decided to get some homework done. He hadn't started on it yet after what had happened the day before, and didn't want to be up too late having to get it finished. Pulling his trunk open, he began to take out his books, before settling down and getting to work.  
  
The hours passed quickly and as Harry was finishing his paper for history of magic he looked at his watch to see dinner started over ten minutes ago. Stacking his books on top of one another, he tossed them into his trunk before heading downstairs.  
  
When he reached the great hall, he found his friends already there, along with Cho. Oblivious to the eyes of the other students that always seemed to hone in on him no matter where he was, he made his way to the seat they'd saved for him at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Thanks for telling me you guys were leaving," he said sardonically sitting next to Cho and throwing a pointed look at Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Sorry," Ron muttered not taking his eyes off his plate.  
  
Harry looked back and forth between his friends, disbelievingly. How could they still be arguing about this? He shook his head, sighing inaudibly, before turning to Cho.  
  
"So, did you speak with your parents? Is everything alright?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well.I spoke with them, yes, using the floo network. Talking to people's heads in the fireplace always gave me the creeps," she shivered. "My parents seemed fine, but I know something's not right."  
  
"What happened?" Hermione said, looking up in interest.  
  
"They can't remember Sirius and Marzia's visit. No recollection whatsoever. They also still can't see anything wrong with my room, but I have no way of knowing if it's still a mess or not. I wish I could just go there." she trailed off sadly.  
  
Harry leaned over, putting his arm around Cho's back and pulling her closer.  
  
"Listen," he said quietly. "Whoever did this to your parents doesn't seem to want them hurt. More likely, they don't want them to interfere. I don't think they're going to be harmed."  
  
"But we can't be sure!" Cho exclaimed, hopelessly. "Not without being there to see for ourselves." she trailed off.  
  
"Did Dumbledore say he'd do anything about it?" Ron asked.  
  
Cho shrugged and nodded slowly.  
  
"He said he'd be going out to talk to them, but I don't know if it'll do any good. It's obvious someone's controlling them and he won't be able to find out any more than that person wants them to know," she paused before continuing in a harsher tone. "We need to find out who's doing this."  
  
"Believe me I couldn't agree with you more," Harry said soothingly. "And trust Dumbledore, he'll do everything he can to help your parents."  
  
Cho sighed quietly.  
  
"I know, I'm just worried." she trailed off.  
  
"You're not alone," Hermione said grimly.  
  
An awkward silence fell over them as no one was quite sure what to say next. Everyone sat picking at their food in silence until Harry couldn't take it anymore, he looked over at Cho and decided it was time to get out of there.  
  
"So, did you still have those questions about last night.we can't talk here because too many people might over hear." he said in a low voice.  
  
"We can go back to the guest rooms," Cho said, brightening a little.  
  
"Let's go," Harry said, already beginning to stand. Ron and Hermione watched him help Cho out of her seat as she looked at them uncertainly.  
  
"Um.did you two want to come?" she asked, not wanting to be rude.  
  
"Sure," Ron said standing up, only to find himself back in the seat a second later, Hermione having pulled him down. Ignoring his angry glare, she turned to the others.  
  
"You go on," she said to Cho and a very grateful looking Harry. "We'll talk with you later."  
  
Harry quickly escorted Cho towards the door, not wanting to hear the argument that was sure to follow.  
  
"Ron and Hermione seem to be a little.upset with one another," Cho commented as they reached her room at last.  
  
"What else is new?" Harry asked rolling his eyes and holding the door open for her. "They'll get through it.eventually," he said as they went to the couch and sat down. "So, what did you want to know then?" he asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Well, for starters, how is Percy doing? Are Arthur and Molly okay?"  
  
"Percy still isn't talking," Harry said glumly. "But physically he seems fine. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came as soon as Dumbledore contacted them. They stayed for a few days too. I know Mr. Weasley went back to work because at the time we didn't want to report anything to the ministry until we knew where you were. Mrs. Weasley still comes by every day though. They're both very shaken up over it, and I don't blame them at all."  
  
Cho nodded her agreement before speaking again.  
  
"What about Wormtail? You haven't heard anything from him since you told him to get out that last time?"  
  
"Not a word," Harry replied. "I'm actually wondering if he's found a way around the whole predicament we were in."  
  
"Have you tried summoning him again?" she asked. Harry shook his head quickly.  
  
"No way, and I'm not going to either. Personally I'm quite happy with it this way."  
  
"But what if you need his help again?" Cho asked.  
  
"If I do I'll try to summon him then, but I don't see a reason to now. If he's not gonna come, he's not gonna come, and knowing that won't change the fact."  
  
Cho looked like she wanted to argue the matter, but instead just shook her head and continued on.  
  
"Have you found out anything more about Neville then? Can we trust him.and Gazten?"  
  
"I think we can." Harry said carefully. "He said I'd find out what was going on, and unless something happens that makes it seem as if he's lying, I'm gonna keep his secret.for now."  
  
"Do you think.?" Cho began, trailing off.  
  
"What?" Harry prompted her.  
  
Cho sighed.  
  
"Well, I know this might sound silly, but after the way you said he acted that night with Percy.do you think he's the defender Menetor was asking about?"  
  
Harry sat back in the chair, considering.  
  
"I don't know," he said at last. "I mean, is the defender supposed to be defending something in particular? Or just anyone who needs help? We need to find out more about him or her before we can be sure if it's Neville or not."  
  
"I agree," Cho said quickly, "but it is a bit odd that someone who isn't very adept at learning even simple spells suddenly knows how to defend against magic he's supposedly never seen before."  
  
"Okay, okay, I get your point." Harry said, holding up his hands defensively. "You're right, it would make sense that he's the defender. But how do we make sure."  
  
"Why don't you ask him?" Cho suggested matter-of-factly.  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"He wasn't exactly very forthcoming with information, so unless he wants me to know, he won't tell me."  
  
"Alright, so we don't ask him.for now." she said quietly. For the next half hour, she asked several more questions, mostly having to do with Lunis, clearing up the details she didn't catch the night before, wanting to make sure she understood as much as possible about the unique power. When she finally had nothing left to ask, the two of them sat on the couch, very close together, enjoying the silence and each other's company.  
  
Peering at his watch, Harry saw it was getting late and shifted slightly so she'd know he was getting up.  
  
"Leaving?" she asked looking a bit sad, not wanting him to go.  
  
"I don't want to," Harry said quickly. "But if I don't get back to the dorm and this news reaches Sirius, you know he's gonna send out the search parties. If he finds I've been here while he's worried sick, roaming the halls, I'm in deep and we both know it."  
  
Cho couldn't help but laugh at how seriously Harry said this.  
  
"Well it's true," he said, blushing a little.  
  
"Oh I know," Cho said, smiling. "And he's right, I don't want you getting detention.or worse, because of me. So go on, get goin'" she said waving her hands towards the door.  
  
"Good night," Harry said softly, leaning over and kissing Cho once, before forcing himself to stand. He began to walk across to the door, when suddenly he remembered something he'd wanted to ask her, and spun around.  
  
"Um, Cho? There's one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.before I go," he said, suddenly feeling uncertain.  
  
"Sure Harry, what is it?" she asked pleasantly, looking curiously at him.  
  
"Well, I know you're probably going to be here at the school for a while, and I was wondering." he began. "You see there's another Yule Ball this year, on Christmas night. I was thinking, since you're here.if you're still here then.maybe you'd like to go with me?" he asked, hopefully.  
  
Cho smiled warmly, but an apologetic expression crossed her face.  
  
"Oh Harry, I'd love to go with you.but I'm not a student here anymore, and I wouldn't feel right."  
  
"Well.I know you're not.but I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't mind if." he began.  
  
"No this has nothing to do with that," she interrupted. "I don't want to go to a dance right now. Like you said, I'm here for the moment, but this would be based on if I were still here in a month and a half. I don't want to ruin your chances of going with someone if I find out I can't be here last minute."  
  
"I wouldn't mind." Harry tried to convince her, but Cho shook her head.  
  
"No, I'd rather us not make those plans," she said. "Please don't be angry with me," she said standing up and crossing to where he stood.  
  
"I'm not angry," Harry said, feeling rejection wash over him. He knew she hadn't done it to be mean, but he couldn't help feeling this way at the moment. "It's okay, maybe I won't go anyway.it'll just be Ron and Hermione arguing all night." he trailed off as she gently placed a hand on his cheek, pushing his face so he was looking directly at her.  
  
"Listen to me," she began softly. "I want to be with you, very much so, but I just don't want to go to the dance. Don't take it as if I don't want to go with you, because that's not it at all, okay?"  
  
He nodded, knowing she was telling the truth.  
  
"And I think you should go," she continued. "Don't you dare sit in your common room all night and let everyone else have all the fun."  
  
"Well isn't that what you're going to be doing?" Harry asked, smirking.  
  
Cho sighed.  
  
"If I'm even still here, I promise I'll stop down, alright?" she asked.  
  
"Alright then," Harry said with a grin.  
  
"Good, now that that's settled, you get back to your tower before you're out past curfew," she said pointing at the door.  
  
"Sweet dreams, Cho," he said, kissing her briefly, before finally stepping through the door, and heading off to his dorm.  
  
The weeks went by, blissfully uneventful, for Harry and his friends. They spent hours in the library researching any person, creature or otherwise that was ever known as a defender, but there were far too many references to cover them all in one school year.  
  
Wormtail kept his silence still, for which Harry couldn't be happier, and he avoided the topic with Cho any time she seemed to try and bring it up. What does it matter if he's still around or not, he thought. If I know he isn't there, it's not going to change anything if I need him later on. One way or the other he won't come.  
  
Dobby still kept watch on Cho's room and reported proudly to Harry each morning that she was safe.  
  
As the quidditch match drew nearer, the Gryffindor team stayed out longer and longer, trying to get in as much practice as possible and sometimes barely making it back in before curfew.  
  
On the day before the match, Harry awoke very early, before the sun had risen. Sitting up, he pulled the curtains back from around him and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table. No one else was up yet, as he expected. He wasn't too sure on why he'd woken so early, but felt no desire to go back to sleep, so sliding to the side of the bed, he stood up and changed quickly.  
  
The common room was empty, which didn't come as any great surprise. So having nothing else to do, Harry went through the portrait hole and headed down to the great hall. He walked slowly, automatically taking one hallway after the next, barely paying attention to what was in front of him, lost in his thoughts. As a result, he turned a corner quickly, barely missing a collision with the person walking the opposite direction.  
  
"Oh, sorry about that Harry, guess I wasn't paying attention," Marzia said, taking a step back.  
  
"No it's my fault too," Harry shrugged, grinning. "I should've looked where I was going."  
  
"Got a lot on your mind?" she asked, knowingly.  
  
Harry sighed, lightly.  
  
"You could say that," he replied, before giving her a questioning look. "Why are you up so early?"  
  
"It's my job, kiddo. I patrol the school with your godfather, remember?"  
  
"Just the two of you?" Harry asked, thinking that was a lot of ground to cover for just two people.  
  
"Well the faculty helps as well, we all take turns. With times as they are right now, there's really no other choice."  
  
Harry nodded miserably.  
  
"I know." he said quietly.  
  
"Hey, hold on a minute," Marzia said, reaching out a hand and putting it under his chin. She lifted his face until their eyes met.  
  
"Don't Harry," she began, firmly. "Things are not going to be easy for you, no one's going to kid you about that. But if you let yourself wallow in misery and depression, it will make things much, much harder.not to mention you'll be more vulnerable."  
  
Harry nodded, unconvincingly, and Marzia just shook her head.  
  
"Okay, let's talk about something else, no more of this depressing stuff," she said, cheerfully.  
  
"Actually," Harry began, "there is something I wanted to talk to you about." 


	12. Chapter 12

"Sure," Marzia said, happily. "Ask away, only walk with me while we talk, I want to finish making my rounds."  
  
Harry nodded and the two of them began back up the hall, side by side.  
  
"Sirius told me we'd talk about what happened on Halloween when you returned from looking for Cho, but we still haven't gotten the chance.I was wondering.what did you do to the dementors that day? Where did you learn that spell, or whatever it was?"  
  
Marzia's expression was unreadable at first, she looked straight ahead and Harry began to wonder if she was going to answer him, when he heard her speak.  
  
"Harry, I've traveled almost everywhere since I began working for the ministry. There are so many other races that use magic besides humans, but we rarely ever interact with one another. My job is to learn as much as possible about these cultures, to determine if they would be a threat to us."  
  
"Sounds like something the ministry would be interested in," Harry said, bitterly.  
  
"And rightfully so," Marzia added quickly. "As you've discovered in the past year, there are some who can use magic that is much more powerful than ours. If one of these groups were to just decide they wanted us gone, we wanted to know about it in advance."  
  
"And was there ever a threat like that?" Harry asked, curious.  
  
"Only one," Marzia replied. "Well over one hundred years ago, from Faerun."  
  
"How did we stop them?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"By learning their ways," Marzia answered. "I'm not the only person the ministry has ever had traveling to study other cultures. They've been sending representatives for a great many years now. We learned from the ones that were willing to teach us, not all of them are power- hungry. Then we took that knowledge back to our kind, to pass it on."  
  
"Was it hard to learn?" Harry asked.  
  
"Some of it," Marzia nodded. "Some cultures, like the Zlam, we'll never be able to fully understand because we don't have the ability to control things with our minds as they do. However, Faerun's magic was similar to our own, they had discovered things that we hadn't, and the same went for us. The biggest difference being we used wands for most of our magic, they used their hands. But when it came down to the battle; our two sides were evenly matched. Afterwards, neither side could actually claim to have won. They each left it alone, agreeing to stay away from one another, but we, unfortunately, took it a step further. We put a barrier around Faerun that could easily be passed through by a human, but not by one of them. I'm sure Dumbledore already told you how they need an escort to make it through, and even then, it can be difficult."  
  
"So we basically agreed to leave it at a draw, then went behind their backs with this barrier," Harry said, feeling almost ashamed.  
  
"In a nutshell," Marzia commented.  
  
"The ministry certainly hasn't changed much over the years, have they?" Harry asked, scathingly.  
  
"No I'm afraid not," Marzia replied. "And now what was done all those years ago is finally coming back around. When Voldemort first went to enlist the help of the people of Faerun, most of them were more than happy, wanting revenge on us."  
  
"Well we isolated them from the rest of the world," Harry said, disgustedly. "We made their own home a prison to them! I'd feel the same way."  
  
Marzia nodded, continuing.  
  
"Their hopes were destroyed, it seemed, when Voldemort disappeared over 16 years ago, and they were again left to their solitude. So naturally when he re-emerged and contacted them again, explaining what had happened, they were more than willing to help him."  
  
Harry felt his stomach turning, realizing what Marzia was saying. All the citizens of Faerun were trapped there by his own kind, unable to leave without assistance. When it finally looked as if they would be freed, they were shut down yet again. Now that chance was back, and the wait must've been a long one. This time however, he was the cause of it, and surely they would be none too happy about this fact.  
  
"So if we'd just left well enough alone in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess," Harry muttered.  
  
"We haven't lost yet," Marzia said, reassuringly. "We were able to defend ourselves against them a long time ago, I know we can do it again."  
  
"But one hundred years ago they didn't have Voldemort on their side," Harry pointed out.  
  
"He's been beaten before," Marzia said quietly.  
  
Harry just nodded, thinking that point was certainly one he could argue, but didn't feel up to it at the moment.  
  
"Harry, I didn't mean to upset you with anything I've told you." she began.  
  
"No, you didn't!" Harry said quickly, wanting to assure her. "I wanted to know what happened and you told me. I'm glad someone does that around here, I always feel like I have to fight for any information."  
  
"Professor Dumbledore and Sirius keep you updated," she said.  
  
"Only after Ron, Hermione and I have found out so much that they have no choice but to tell us," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "I just wish they wouldn't keep so much from me."  
  
"I'm sure they have their reasons," Marzia replied, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"So, what was that spell you used on the dementors, anyway?" Harry asked, wanting to change the subject.  
  
"It's called the Black Smoke," Marzia said. "And it's the only way to kill a dementor. Something the people of Faerun were kind enough to show us before we locked them away."  
  
"Can anyone do it?" Harry asked. "I've never heard anything about it mentioned here. And Snape.well.he seemed to take it as a bad sign that you could do it." Harry trailed off.  
  
"I can't tell you why Snape thinks that," Marzia replied, "But I've certainly noticed he doesn't seem to like me. I never really spoke to him when I attended school here, and we didn't know one another afterwards, so I truly can't say where he's coming from. But to answer your question, any wizard can be shown, not many will be able to learn it. It's a very powerful spell that takes a lot of energy to perform."  
  
"I believe it," Harry said, "you passed out after you'd done it."  
  
Marzia blushed slightly.  
  
"Like I said, a lot of energy." She smiled at him for a moment before raising her arm to check her watch. "Sorry to cut this short, Harry," she began, "but I have to meet up with Sirius before we head down to the dungeons, and I don't think it's a good idea for you to come with us."  
  
"No, don't worry about it," Harry said, grinning. "I'm actually kinda hungry, anyway."  
  
"Okay then," Marzia said. "Take care Harry." She smiled and waved, before turning away and heading quickly down the hall. Harry looked after her for a moment, thinking about everything he'd just been told. Slowly he started walking, hoping there'd be someone to talk to at breakfast. He didn't feel like being alone right now.  
  
When at last Harry reached the great hall, he pushed open the doors and stepped inside. It was still quite early so not too many students were awake, but a few of them were scattered around at the four house tables. Glancing at the Gryffindor table, he saw none of his friends were up yet, or if they were, they hadn't made it downstairs.  
  
Sighing to himself, he started to make his way to the seats they usually occupied during meals, hoping someone would show up soon. Before he made it however, he spotted someone he recognized at another table, alone.  
  
Mel was seated at the far end of the Slytherin table, her head in her hands. She looked upset about something, and Harry made his way over to her.  
  
Hey Mel," he began lightly, coming up beside her. "Is everything alright?"  
  
She looked up abruptly and he noticed immediately how red and puffy her eyes were.  
  
"Oh, hey Harry," she said in a stuffy voice. Pulling a handkerchief out of her robes, she delicately blew her nose, before looking back up at him. "Everything's fine, thanks."  
  
Harry sat down across from her, smiling gently.  
  
"Then why do you look so upset?" he asked.  
  
Mel shook her head.  
  
"It's nothing you need to be concerned with," she replied.  
  
"Maybe so," he said nodding, "there are lots of things I don't need to be concerned with.but I am."  
  
Mel cracked a small grin at this.  
  
"You'd think it's dumb." she trailed off.  
  
"Try me," he said, shrugging.  
  
Mel sighed heavily.  
  
"Alright. You were there when I sort of blew up at Draco in Hogsmeade.remember?"  
  
"Do I ever," Harry said smiling.  
  
Mel laughed.  
  
"Yeah well, glad you were amused. He, however, was less than pleased. He's gotten all of his friends turned against me, and now he's trying for the rest of Slytherin as well."  
  
"Sounds like something Malfoy would do," Harry said angrily.  
  
"Well he isn't doing a good job of it, but I do hear him and his friends talking about me in the common room. They think I don't care about my house anymore, that I'm a.traitor." she trailed off.  
  
"How can they possibly think that?" Harry asked. "You've done nothing to lose points for your house." he began, the lowered his voice, "you even lied at one point to make sure none were lost," he smirked, remembering what happened in the hospital wing after the incident with the Erumpents.  
  
"Yeah well." she began, looking up innocently. "No one was badly injured."  
  
"I'd like to argue that," Harry cut in, teasingly. "You weren't in the best of shape to say the least."  
  
"But I'm fine now," Mel smiled.  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"Sure you are." he said giving her a pointed look.  
  
"Oh stop, I am fine," she said, feigning annoyance and swatting his arm across the table.  
  
Harry smiled mischievously at her.  
  
"Anyway," Mel continued, sounding down again. "Like I said before, it was nothing big, it was just starting to get to me. I came down here early so I wouldn't have to be in the common room when he and his friends arrived." She looked up to see him looking back at her, a caring expression on his face. "Thank you," she said quietly.  
  
Harry was almost taken back by this.  
  
"For what?" he asked.  
  
"For listening to my venting," she grinned.  
  
"Hey, I do it enough," he said smiling, "it only makes sense I do my share of listening as well."  
  
"Oh," Mel said, smirking, "then I'll be sure to look for you next time."  
  
"Wait a second now," Harry joked. "I didn't say I'd."  
  
"Well, well, well," spoke a voice from nearby. Harry and Mel both turned to see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle a few feet away, heading towards them. "Didn't I tell you?" he asked, looking to his friends. "She's a traitor to her own house."  
  
"Shut it Malfoy," Harry said fiercely. "You have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
"Don't I?" he asked, snidely. "She'd rather spend time with you than do anything with her fellow housemates. You've probably got her spying for you."  
  
"What would I possibly need a spy for?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
Malfoy shrugged.  
  
"I don't pretend to know how your twisted mind works, Potter," he spat.  
  
"Draco just stop it!" Mel said fiercely.  
  
"No," he said, smiling wickedly.  
  
"Fine," Harry said standing up, "We're leaving anyway." He stepped around to the other side of the table, holding his hand out to Mel. She hesitated for a split second, glaring at Malfoy, before reaching out and standing up with Harry.  
  
Malfoy muttered something under his breath that Harry couldn't catch, but knew it was probably insulting. He didn't look back, just led Mel away from the table and out of the great hall.  
  
Harry kept walking, Mel at his side, aimlessly through the hallways. Mel kept throwing him questioning looks until finally she spoke up.  
  
"Um, where are we going?" she asked, sounding slightly amused.  
  
Harry slowed to halt and looked over at her.  
  
"I have no idea," he admitted, shrugging. "I just wanted to get you out of there. He had no right." he trailed off, feeling the anger begin to rise again.  
  
"You didn't have to do that, you know," Mel replied, taking a step closer to him. "So again, thank you."  
  
"No, I did have to," Harry replied, "and you don't need to thank me. I don't need an excuse to fight with Malfoy. It always happens no matter what. He's only being mean to you because it's me you're friends with. If it were any other student, he wouldn't care. So I guess I should be apologizing."  
  
"For being my friend?" she asked, a hurt expression crossing her face.  
  
"No!" Harry said quickly, putting up his hands. "That's not what I meant."  
  
"I know what you meant," Mel cut him off. "And please never apologize for that git's stupidity. I used to think what he said about you was true, but I can see now how full of it he was."  
  
"Wait.what he said about me?" Harry asked. "Such as.?"  
  
Mel shrugged.  
  
"Nothing he hasn't said to your face, in all his tactful splendor," she said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Oh," Harry said, laughing. She smiled up at him and he cleared his throat, beginning to walk again.  
  
"Where to?" he asked, glancing sideways at her as they moved.  
  
"Well.I'm still pretty hungry, but I suppose going back to the great hall is out of the question for the time being." she trailed off.  
  
"Yeah I didn't get to eat either," he said, feeling his stomach rumbling, when suddenly an idea struck him. "C'mon," he said, grabbing her hand and turning down the next hall. "I know exactly where we're going."  
  
"Okay." she said uncertainly but smiling as they went.  
  
Harry led her through the halls to the picture of the giant fruit bowl. He looked at her as she watched him with curiosity, before stretching out his hand and tickling the green pear. She cried out in surprise as it began to laugh and squirm, before turning into the door handle. Harry pulled the door open and allowed Mel to step inside first, looking around her in awe at the gigantic kitchen.  
  
"How did you find this?" she asked, smiling at him.  
  
"If you'd known the Weasley twins you 'd understand," Harry replied, smirking. They walked through the kitchen as the house elves bowed and curtseyed, awaiting whatever commands the two students might have for them. Harry went up to the nearest elf and asked if they might be able to get some breakfast.  
  
No sooner had the request been given then several house-elves were heading over carrying trays of eggs, bacon, toast, jam, potatoes and any other breakfast food in the kitchen. They gave the food to Harry and Mel, who thanked them and left the way they'd came.  
  
"Where do you want to eat then?" Mel asked, balancing her tray of wonderful smelling food carefully.  
  
"Anywhere, just as long as it's close by," Harry said, his mouth watering.  
  
Mel laughed and stopped at the next doorway they came to. Grasping the handle carefully, she turned the latch and pushed it open with her foot. The two of them entered the empty classroom and set the trays down on nearest desk.  
  
"Well this is a first for me," Mel laughed as the sat down in front of the food.  
  
"Me too," Harry said grabbing a piece of bacon and devouring it.  
  
"Here," Mel said, pushing a plate in front of him, grinning.  
  
Harry returned the grin and the two of them began eating, they were both ravenous and ate in silence for a little while. When Harry felt so full he was sure his stomach would burst, he sat back with a groan, content.  
  
"I hear you," Mel said, moving her chair away from the food and stretching. "That was fun."  
  
Harry nodded, smiling at her.  
  
"It was, wasn't it?" He watched as she began piling the plates and trays on top of each other. She was very neat and precise, making sure they weren't uneven in the slightest. She caught him looking at her and blushed.  
  
"What?" she asked, grinning.  
  
"Nothing," he replied, smiling. "Hey Mel.?" he began, leaning forward in his seat.  
  
"Mmmm?" she replied, waiting.  
  
"Do.um.do you have a date for the Yule Ball yet?" he asked, almost cringing as he did so. What on earth had possessed him to ask her that? Surely she would already be going with someone else.  
  
"Not yet," she replied, looking both happy and surprised. "Why?"  
  
Harry chuckled to himself.  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?" he said, making sure to say it slowly.  
  
"You're not going with your girlfriend?" she asked.  
  
"No, not this time," Harry replied.  
  
"Will your friends mind?" she continued.  
  
"If they do, tough," Harry said shrugging. "I'm not going to worry about what they think, but I would like to know what you're thinking." he said, meeting her eyes.  
  
She looked back at him, hesitating only a moment, before nodding slowly.  
  
"Alright, sure," she smiled. "I think that'd be fun, going with you."  
  
"Well gee if you think so." Harry joked, rolling his eyes and Mel laughed.  
  
"Okay it will be fun, I'm sure of it. Let's just stay away from Draco all night, please?"  
  
"Hey no arguments here," Harry said holding up his hands.  
  
"Good," Mel nodded, as she picked up a tray and handed it to him. "Now let's get these back to the kitchen."  
  
"Why weren't you at breakfast?" Ron asked as Harry found them in the common room. He had gone with Mel to return the trays to the kitchen, before she excused herself, needing to get homework done. She assured him she'd be there for the quidditch match the next day and wished him luck in case she didn't see him before hand.  
  
"I was up very early this morning," Harry replied. "So I decided to go for a walk. I ran into Marzia."  
  
Ron paled slightly and lowered his eyes, while Harry and Hermione gave him questioning looks.  
  
"What did she say?" Hermione asked finally, tearing her gaze from Ron.  
  
Harry sat down in the nearest chair and began to explain everything he'd been told about Faerun and what the ministry had done to them. Also telling why they were so eager to help Voldemort now.  
  
"Well isn't that just great?" Ron said in anger and disbelief. "Can it get any worse?"  
  
"I hope not," Harry said with an involuntary shudder.  
  
"Well at least we can learn their magic," Hermione said.  
  
"Yes but at a price," Harry replied. "Marzia was out cold for hours after using that spell against the dementors."  
  
"Black Smoke," Hermione muttered, stroking her chin. "I wonder."  
  
"You wonder what?" Ron asked after a moment.  
  
"I'll be back," she said, standing up abruptly.  
  
"Wait," Harry said, both he and Ron out of their seats as well. "Where are you going?"  
  
"To find Marzia," she replied simply.  
  
"What for?" Ron asked, worried.  
  
"I to ask her more about the magic she's learned, from Faerun. Maybe she'll be willing to teach some of it to us."  
  
"I don't know if she'd want us to know." Ron trailed off, uncertainly.  
  
"Why not?" Hermione asked. "She even said it, we live in a very dangerous time right now. It's not like we need a better excuse to know some of this magic."  
  
"Do you want us to come?" Harry asked.  
  
"We can't!" Ron exclaimed before Hermione could answer. "We have our last quidditch practice in a few minutes, don't you remember these things anymore? Our match with Ravenclaw is tomorrow!"  
  
"Oh and I can see how that's more important," Hermione quipped, rolling her eyes.  
  
Harry sighed.  
  
"Well then you ask her for us, and let us know what she says later, okay?"  
  
"You know I will," she said shaking her head and grinning. Harry watched as she turned and headed for the portrait hole, before he and Ron ran up to the dorm for their brooms.  
  
The next morning the Gryffindor quidditch team met in the great hall for breakfast, going over a few last minute details before the match. Soon enough the room began to fill with other students, and their game talk stopped. Harry and Ron slid down the table a bit as Hermione entered the room. She made her way over and sat down next to Ron.  
  
"What happened last night?" Ron asked immediately, concerned.  
  
"What do you mean?" Hermione replied, picking up a piece of toast and nibbling at the corner of it.  
  
"I mean you didn't return from your visit with Marzia until very late," he said, sounding slightly annoyed. "And when you finally came back you wouldn't tell us anything, just went off to bed."  
  
"Well I was tired," she said with a shrug.  
  
"What did the two of you talk about for so long?" Harry asked.  
  
"I told you what I was going to ask her about. We talked about Faerun and the magic she'd learned from them."  
  
"And all that took the entire night?" Ron asked, skeptically.  
  
"Yes it did," Hermione replied, defensively.  
  
Ron looked as if he were going to say more, but though better of it and turned his attention to the food in front of him, poking at it crossly. Harry wanted to press for more information as well, but decided to do it after the game. He wanted his full attention on the match today. The three friends ate in silence for a few moments, until someone sat down next to Harry.  
  
"Good morning," Cho said, smiling brightly.  
  
"Hey you," he said, grinning. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Very much so, thank you," she replied. "So, all ready for the game? I expect you to have the snitch in your hand before any goals are scored," she joked.  
  
"Oh, sure. That'll be a cinch," he said, rolling his eyes and smiling.  
  
Cho laughed and turned to look at the others.  
  
"Hello you two," she began. "So, everything straightened out for the Yule Ball yet?"  
  
Hermione glanced up from her plate.  
  
"Well I still don't have a date, if that's what you mean," she said, turning a pointed glare on Ron.  
  
"Did Harry ask you?" Ron asked suddenly, looking up at Cho. "Because if two people are dating."  
  
"Yes he did, actually," Cho cut him off, smirking. An expression of triumph crossed Hermione's face, as she couldn't stop beaming at Ron.  
  
Ron's ears went as red as his hair and his cheeks were flushed as well, but he kept a straight face as he continued.  
  
"But.you would've gone with him anyway, right? Even if he hadn't asked you?"  
  
"She said no," Harry spoke up, flatly. He met Ron's eyes and shrugged.  
  
"I told you why," Cho said. "I'm not a student anymore and I don't feel like going. I'm sure you'll find someone who wants to go, don't worry."  
  
"For your information, I already did," Harry said heatedly, instantly regretting his tone.  
  
"Oh," Cho said, unable to disguise her surprise, but she didn't say anything further, just busied herself with her food.  
  
Harry sighed inwardly, feeling suddenly frustrated. He wasn't mad at Cho and he knew it, but he'd let his emotions take over for a brief moment, and now he'd done it. He turned to her, ignoring the confused looks Ron and Hermione were giving him.  
  
"Cho, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound angry."  
  
"Then why did you?" she interjected curtly.  
  
"I-I don't know." he stammered.  
  
"Are you upset with me? For not going with you?"  
  
"No!" Harry said quickly. "Well, a little disappointed maybe, but not mad at you or anything."  
  
"Who are you going with?" Cho asked suddenly.  
  
"You don't know her," Harry said quickly. Her name's Melanie, we only just met in September."  
  
"Oh," Cho said again. Harry waited, wanting her to say something else, but Ron spoke first.  
  
"We better get going, don't want to be late."  
  
Harry looked up to see an unreadable expression on Ron's face, and wanted to ask him what was wrong, but didn't. Instead, he nodded and stood up from his seat. Saying goodbye to Cho and Hermione, the two boys headed out of the great hall with the rest of the quidditch team.  
  
Harry walked down to the pitch, having no desire to play quidditch now. He was angry with himself for his outburst and wanted to just take it back. Glancing sideways, he saw Ron looking at him, curiously.  
  
"What?" he asked, sighing.  
  
"Are you okay?" Ron blurted out and Harry saw the concern in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, a bit lighter. "I just wish I hadn't sounded so.abrupt with her."  
  
Ron nodded.  
  
"I could tell you were sorry, I'm sure she can too."  
  
"But she's not going to forget it, that's what bothers me."  
  
They walked in silence a moment longer when Ron started chuckling to himself.  
  
"What's funny?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"Us," Ron replied. "You ask your girlfriend to the ball and she says no, and mine says no because I won't ask. We're 0 for 2 I'd say."  
  
"Why don't you just ask Hermione already?" Harry said. "Because you and I both know if someone else asks her she's gonna say yes out of spite."  
  
"Oh and I know it," Ron said, shaking his head. "But it's like any time I'm about to give in she says something that just.I don't know.gets me angry, and I don't do it."  
  
"Well it's time to give in if you really want to go with her," Harry said, smirking.  
  
"I know, and I will, after the game," Ron replied, sounding as if he were trying to assure himself of this.  
  
"Um, today would be nice, you two!" Ginny called from a few feet away. The rest of the team was already entering the lockers and Harry and Ron were busy dawdling at a snail's pace.  
  
"Sorry," Harry called as the two of them quickened their pace. They trotted up to where Ginny stood waiting, before entering the locker rooms together.  
  
Once the two teams were ready, they came out onto the pitch and stood on opposite sides of the field. Harry stepped forward, shaking hands with the captain of the Ravenclaw team, before everyone mounted their brooms. Madam Hooch waited a few seconds, before blowing her whistle, and fourteen brooms rose up into the air. The bludgers and snitch were released before she brought the quaffle to the center of the field. Glancing to make sure the players were all in position, she heaved the large ball upwards and the game began.  
  
Harry began looking for the snitch immediately. He hadn't been in the mood to play only a few minutes earlier, but being up here, feeling the adrenaline moving him, never failed to excite him.  
  
He glanced casually towards the Gryffindor seating area and was happy to see both Cho and Hermione there, cheering for them. At least he hadn't upset her so much she didn't come. He turned his attention back to the game, set on getting to the snitch as soon as possible.  
  
The Ravenclaw seeker, Sara, was doing the same as him and it almost surprised him that she wasn't marking him, as any other seeker he'd played against had done. She was glancing in his general direction ever few seconds just to make sure he hadn't spotted it, but for the most part, she was looking for it on her own.  
  
The commentary played on in the background and the two teams were tied at 50 points apiece, when Harry finally spotted the snitch. It was very close to the ground on the Ravenclaw side of the pitch, and Harry got set to go for it. As he threw a quick glance at Sara, to make sure she hadn't spotted it, something happened. His head started to ache and his eyes were watering, burning and itching furiously. He pushed his glasses up slightly, massaging his eyes with his fingers.  
  
"Not now," he muttered to himself fervently, "please, not now!"  
  
He knew exactly what was happening, another vision was coming.  
  
Harry didn't move; keeping his eyes tightly shut and praying the vision would be quick. He could barely hear what was going on around him though could feel the swift movements of the other players. He could only hope a bludger didn't find its way to him.  
  
Suddenly an image began to form in his mind and he concentrated hard, trying to force it to speed up, wanting to recognize whatever it was.  
  
"Harry! What are you doing?" he heard Su's voice shout as she whizzed by him, though he didn't answer. The image he could see now looked like something he could only describe as electricity, but nothing else. He saw what appeared to be paper-thin currents of light moving in every direction, but the rest was black.  
  
Having no idea what to make of the picture, he did the only thing he could think of and began edging backwards, hesitantly, hoping it would have the same effect as last time and allow him to see more.  
  
A loud cracking noise to his left caused him to look in that direction instinctively, but he quickly turned his head back around. For a split second, it had caused the image to change so it looked as if the electricity were rushing straight at him. With an involuntary shudder, he continued backing up slowly, not even hearing the escalating cheers of the crowd.  
  
Instead he was listening to a crackling noise, and all he could think was it must be a fire. Praying he wouldn't discover someone was trapped in a burning building somewhere; he began to back up faster.  
  
"Harry look out!" Dean yelled and Harry skidded to a halt, hearing another loud crack very close to him.  
  
"That's the second time you've almost let a bludger hit you!" Dean cried, the bludger obviously gone. "What's going on?"  
  
"Sorry," Harry replied, vaguely. He had begun to see lighter colors all around the darkness, which now looked strangely like wood.  
  
Harry decided time out had to be called, but since he couldn't even see Madam Hooch to get her attention, he'd ask Dean to do it.  
  
"Look, we need to." he began, but his words were drowned out as the roar of the crowd was suddenly deafening.  
  
"She's going for it!" Dean cried in amazement, and Harry felt him move away. He tried to call after him but the crowd was too loud now and Dean was out of earshot.  
  
He backed up just a few feet more, only to come to an abrupt stop yet again. The image was finally clear to him; the darkness and crackling noises all made sense now, and for a moment all he could do was stare in horror. The darkness had been the hilt of a broom and whoever was on it was in trouble, because the electrical currents he'd seen had to be some sort of curse. The broom was splintering, coming apart from the inside, and there was little time left, as the wood was moving at an incredible pace.  
  
He gave one last push backwards and finally saw all he needed to see. The vision faded instantly and Harry looked around frantically. His stomach knotted as he looked up, to see Ginny, so very far above him, well into pulling off the Porskoff Ploy, and having no idea her broom was about to shatter beneath her.  
  
Harry didn't waste any more time, he spun in the air, aiming directly for Ginny, before taking off. He flattened himself against the broom, urging it to move faster, she was so far away and he didn't know if he'd make it in time.  
  
Paying no attention to anyone around him, or the shouts of his teammates for some sort of explanation, he began to climb upwards. The Ravenclaw chasers had already begun to drop off, none of them having a broom that could match the height of a Firebolt. Harry was the only one left who could reach her.  
  
Not even seeing the shocked and confused expressions of those around him, he pushed onward.  
  
The crowd began to cheer louder still, as Ginny skillfully dropped the quaffle through the scattered opposition and into Su's waiting arms. Harry was now less than twenty feet away, but his heart caught in his throat as he saw what happened next.  
  
Ginny was smiling one minute, all her hard work and practice paying off, and the next her expression faltered. Something was obviously not right and she instinctively gripped her broom tighter, only to pull her hands away as if they'd been burned. Harry could see her confused expression as she looked at her hands turn to one of horror when she lowered her eyes to the broom.  
  
The wood was cracking quite obviously now, and slivers of it began to peel off and flutter softly away. Fractured shards of it were beginning to push out at awkward angles and Harry could see it was hurting Ginny just to hold onto the broom.  
  
"Ginny!" he yelled as he neared her.  
  
"Harry!" she cried, sounding as if she were ready to panic. "I-I don't know what's happening.my broom."  
  
"I know," he cut her off, knowing time was almost up and stretching his arm towards her. "Give me your hand!" The crowd was now at a hush, murmuring furiously to one another about what they were seeing. Harry could hear shouts from the other players, and knew he recognized Ron's voice among them, but didn't take his attention away from Ginny.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Ginny leaned forward, reaching out for Harry's hand. He felt her fingers brush his, when suddenly the broom cracked in half, pitching her forward.  
  
"Ginny!" he yelled as she cried out in fright, but she'd managed to grasp hold of the other half, and was now hanging by one hand, well over eighty feet in the air. Kicking her feet, uselessly, she tried to pull herself up, but the broom was now spinning in her grasp and Harry could see her hand was bleeding badly.  
  
"I can't hold it!" she yelled in pain and fear as Harry tried to position himself closer to her. Only every time he thought he had it, her broom shifted again. He looked nervously at the remainder of the Firebolt, seeing only seconds remained before it was completely gone.  
  
Harry looked at Ginny's hand, which was slick with blood and slipping fast. He knew she was going to fall, there was no way he could stop it, so he decided to try another way.  
  
"Ginny I can't get close enough!" he shouted as she was twisted away from him again. "I'm moving below you and I want you to let go!"  
  
"Let go?" she asked, her tone clearly showing just how crazy she thought that idea to be.  
  
"Just do it!" he cried as he lowered himself about ten feet below her. There was just no time to argue. "Now!"  
  
Ginny let out an anguished moan as she steeled herself to do it, when suddenly the piece she'd been holding burst apart. She screamed and the crowd let out a gasp of terror, but Harry was ready. He was directly beneath her and held his arms open. She hadn't picked up too much speed so when she hit the front of his broom he flung his arms around her tightly. But the added weight and his leaning forward caused them to over balance and he heard her cry out again as the broom plunged forward. Bending his knees underneath him, he went with the motion and kicked the back of his broom, causing them to flip fully around, back into a normal position.  
  
For a moment, neither of them moved or spoke. He sat there holding her to him, as she looked straight in front of her, seeming distant.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked finally, causing her to jump.  
  
"Could we.um.could we land please? I really just want to get down." she said, pleadingly.  
  
"Going now," Harry nodded, letting one of his hands slip down to the handle of the Moontrimmer, and keeping his other arm wrapped protectively around Ginny.  
  
The members of both teams saw what was happening, and began to land as well.  
  
When Harry touched down, he gently maneuvered the broom to stay horizontal, and slid off the broom with Ginny. She was shaking badly and Harry didn't want to think about how close they'd been to losing her.  
  
"You're okay," he whispered as he hugged her to him again. "You're safe, I promise."  
  
"Why did that happen?" she asked, her voice breaking and tears spilling from her eyes. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and sobbed, while the crowds that had been coming down from the stands in droves had finally neared them, forming a loose circle.  
  
"What happened?" Ron cried as he finally landed and headed straight to them. "Ginny, are you alright?" His cheeks were flushed and he looked very worried.  
  
Ginny didn't respond and Ron looked to Harry, concerned.  
  
"She'll be okay," he said quietly, "I'll explain in a bit." he trailed off as Sirius, Marzia and Madame Hooch broke through the crowd, followed closely by Cho and Hermione.  
  
"Harry!" Sirius began as he came closer. "What.?"  
  
"We need to get her inside," Harry interrupted. "I think she needs to see Madam Pomfrey," he paused, looking pointedly at the very anxious faces surrounding them, knowing he could never say what had really happened in their presence. "I'll explain inside."  
  
Sirius and Marzia exchanged worried glances, but didn't argue.  
  
Harry began leading Ginny, who was still shaking, through the students and towards the school. Sirius and Marzia were telling everyone not to worry, return to the school and as soon as something's known, they'll be told. Ron was at Ginny's side, looking beyond worried for his little sister, while Hermione and Cho followed in silence, knowing they could ask their questions soon enough.  
  
Sirius went with Harry and the others to the hospital wing, making sure Madame Pomfrey saw to Ginny right away, before going to call for Dumbledore. Ginny's hands were still bleeding freely, and Madame Pomfrey gave her a cloth to keep pressure on them, before running off to get other supplies.  
  
When she returned, she set to work cleaning the scrapes and cuts covering Ginny's hands while the others watched in silence. Some of the gashes were rather large, and Ginny winced in pain whenever they were touched. Madame Pomfrey poured a dark blue cream into the palm of her patient's hand, instructing her to rub it in thoroughly. Ginny reluctantly did as she was told, but was relieved to discover it didn't hurt much, and it made the splinters of wood embedded under her skin fall out onto the floor.  
  
After making sure all the wood was out, Madame Pomfrey pulled out another bottle, sprinkling a few drops of the red liquid onto the cuts and scrapes, instantly closing the wounds.  
  
As Ginny's hands were finishing healing, Sirius came back into the hospital wing, followed by Dumbledore. They came up to the bed where Ginny was sitting up, looking weary and pale. Dumbledore glanced around quickly, pausing when he noticed the blood covering Harry's robes, before sitting down.  
  
"It's not mine," Harry said, seeing the headmaster's eyes rest on him.  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Sirius explained his version of what happened," he began. "But I'd very much like to hear yours."  
  
Harry nodded heavily, seeing the anxiety on his friends' faces. He began explaining everything, in as much detail as he could remember, about the vision he'd gotten just a short while ago. When he told how he realized what was going to happen, he trailed off, looking around again.  
  
"And you know what happened next," he said shrugging, the set his gaze on Dumbledore.  
  
"Whoever did it," he said, grimly, "I don't think they were after Ginny. That was my broom, and there weren't too many people who knew I wasn't going to be using it this year."  
  
"But how could anyone have gotten to it?" Ron asked. "It's been in Ginny's room in the tower since you told her she could use it. No Gryffindor student would ever do such a thing, and no student from another house could get in our tower!"  
  
"We will worry about that later, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore spoke up. "What we need to know first is who did it, then we can figure out how."  
  
"Well who do we know that would do this?" Hermione asked. "We have the obvious choice, Draco. But is there anyone else?"  
  
"If Malfoy were going to do that, he'd have waited until it was a match against Slytherin," Harry said though clenched teeth.  
  
"No it wasn't Malfoy," Ginny spoke up evenly, causing everyone to look up at her. She wasn't looking any better then before and in fact looked somewhat angry now as she gazed around at all of them.  
  
"I know exactly who it was."  
  
Everyone's attention was on Ginny as they waited for her to speak.  
  
Looking around at all of them, she finally rested her eyes on Harry.  
  
"It was Mel," she said with a slight edge to her tone. Harry opened his mouth to say something but Ginny rushed on.  
  
"She was always interested in your Firebolt, too interested. Besides she's shown us that she cares more for house points than she does for the safety of others!"  
  
"Ginny," Harry began in a strained voice. "Mel would never go out of her way to endanger someone's life, for any reason.  
  
"You know her so well now, do you?" Ginny replied.  
  
"No it's just that we can't go and accuse her of this when." Harry began.  
  
"Did Mel know you weren't going to be using the Firebolt?" Hermione cut in abruptly.  
  
Harry turned to look at her.  
  
"Of course she knew, I told her about it."  
  
"Did you?" she asked. "Because I know you never got the chance to in Hogsmeade. Did you tell her sometime after?"  
  
Harry leaned forward, thinking back to Halloween. He was in the quidditch shop with everyone, and was about to tell Mel about the Moontrimmer, when Sirius and Marzia had come in to warn everyone. After that, it had never come up again.  
  
"Did you?" Ron prompted, seeing the looking in Harry's eyes as it dawned on him.  
  
He shook his head slowly.  
  
"No, I never did," he said quietly. "But that doesn't prove anything," he rushed on. "She's definitely not the only person that had no idea about the Moontrimmer."  
  
"But she's the only one who showed so much interest in it," Ginny pointed out. "Look I'm not just going to accuse her unless there's some sort of proof and right now there's none!" Harry said loudly. "When would she have had any chance to do anything to the broom? Can any of you tell me that?"  
  
"Well when did anyone have that chance?" Ron countered. "Someone found the opportunity. Whether they found a way into our tower or some other way."  
  
"If they did get into our tower," Hermione spoke up, "then they would've known Ginny was using the Firebolt instead of Harry. It's been in her dorm since the first practice."  
  
"So they were after Ginny then?" Ron asked, shocked.  
  
"But why?" Harry asked, unable to think of a single reason someone might be after the youngest Weasley.  
  
"I don't know," Hermione said. "It could be that, or possibly the broom was cursed long before the match ever happened, when it was still in Harry's room. I don't know how they'd make it so the spell only took effect during the match though."she trailed off.  
  
Harry had no response, he knew Mel could never do anything like this; he knew it. Though for some reason all he could think of at that moment, was the look in her eyes when he ran into her with the Firebolt on his way back to the first practice. Ginny was right, Mel was a bit over-eager. She'd asked to hold it and he'd given it to her, feeling a bit apprehensive.  
  
"What's wrong Harry?" Cho asked quietly.  
  
He looked up at her abruptly, stirring from his thoughts.  
  
"Is there something else you need to add, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked, after having remained silent for most of the discussion.  
  
Seeing the expectant looks on the faces around him, Harry cleared his throat.  
  
"What could have done this?" he asked cautiously, looking at Dumbledore. "Is there a spell or curse you know of that would cause that to happen?"  
  
"There are indeed a great many curses and hexes that could have been used, but not having examined the broom, or what's left of it, I don't know yet which one it was."  
  
"Well, are there any that could be done in advance? I mean, could the person who did this have done it a long while ago?"  
  
"How long ago?" Dumbledore asked evenly.  
  
"Maybe three months." Harry trailed off, looking at his hands.  
  
"What aren't you telling us Harry?" Sirius asked, concern evident in his voice.  
  
"I don't think it's anything that will help," Harry said, wanting them to understand. "But when I was on my way back to the first quidditch practice, after getting the broom for Ginny, I ran into Mel."  
  
"Did she do something to it?" Ron cut in, sitting forward in his chair.  
  
"No," Harry said quickly, shaking his head. "No she didn't do anything. She asked to hold it, but that was it."  
  
"Did you let her?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"For just a moment, yes," he said quietly, turning his gaze back on Dumbledore. "That isn't enough time to do anything, right? I mean she didn't say anything that sounded like a spell, or take her wand out. Nothing happened, she held it and handed it back."  
  
Dumbledore looked for a moment, to be deep in thought. He stroked his beard slowly, considering.  
  
"It is highly unlikely that Mel would be able to curse the broom in that amount of time from what you've told us."  
  
"Could it be done though?" Ginny asked. "Is it possible that someone could perform a hex on it in that amount of time?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded and Ginny's expression hardened. Harry could see as far as she was concerned Mel was as good as guilty.  
  
"Possible yes," the headmaster said. "But to do it without letting someone right next to her know anything was happening would require far more power than I believe she possesses."  
  
"We can't just ignore that she might have done it though," Marzia spoke up.  
  
"That was not my intention," Dumbledore said gently. "On the contrary I think we will keep much closer watch on Miss. Tristen."  
  
"She didn't do it," Harry said firmly, looking intently at Dumbledore as he spoke.  
  
"Whether she did or she didn't, I will take no chances," Dumbledore answered calmly. "I'll inform the rest of the staff to keep their eyes open for anything strange that might happen where Miss Tristen is regarded."  
  
Harry shook his head, wishing he hadn't said anything.  
  
"We're going to waste time looking after her, when the person who really did this will still be able to go about unnoticed."  
  
"Mr. Potter I assure you we will not just be watching Mel. I am having the remainder of your broom brought up to my office where Sirius, Marzia, Madam Hooch and myself will be examining it. When we figure out exactly what was done we'll have a much better chance of discovering who did this. Until then keeping an eye on Miss. Tristen is merely a precautionary measure."  
  
Harry nodded, thinking it was still a waste of time, but kept his thoughts to himself.  
  
"Now," Dumbledore continued. "How are you feeling Miss. Weasley?"  
  
Ginny lifted her gaze to the headmaster, still looking very tired and weary.  
  
"I'm okay," she said, trying to sound strong. "I was really just shaken up by what happened, but I'm alive." she trailed off.  
  
Dumbledore nodded again, smiling.  
  
"I'll have Madame Pomfrey check over you again before I go, do you feel you are well enough to leave tonight, or would you like to stay?"  
  
"Oh no, I definitely don't need to stay," Ginny said quickly.  
  
"So long as Madame Pomfrey agrees with you," Dumbledore began with a knowing smile, "then you can go back to your tower with your friends."  
  
Madame Pomfrey was very much against letting Ginny leave the hospital wing so quickly, but after much prompting by the five students she gave in, making them promise to keep a close watch on her. Ginny assured her she was only tired, and would be fine.  
  
Feeling quite hungry, they set off at once for the great hall. Lunch was just beginning and as they reached the doors, they found the room was almost packed already. Making their way to the Gryffindor table, they found their seats.  
  
The quidditch team was sitting nearby, all looking expectantly at Harry and Ginny for some sort of explanation.  
  
"They're going to call off the season, you know that, right?" Dean asked finally, sounding slightly annoyed.  
  
"What?" Harry, Ron and Ginny cried at once, looking at him in horror.  
  
"They announced that?" Ron asked. "Why wouldn't Dumbledore.?"  
  
"No they haven't.yet," Dean replied. "But what else would they do? That broom bloody well exploded!"  
  
Harry looked away, having no response for this. He couldn't argue with what Dean had said, and he couldn't think of a reason Quidditch wouldn't be called off.  
  
"Nothing's been decided yet," Cho said to Harry. "Let's just wait and see what happens."  
  
Harry nodded, feeling that there was no use in getting his hopes up. Quidditch was as good as done for the year, and he'd never get to play on a house team again.  
  
They ate most of the meal in silence, no one having much to say. Cho finished before everyone else and excused herself, telling them there were a few things she needed to do.  
  
"Cho, wait just a second," Harry said, placing a hand on her arm, gently. She looked at him curiously and he forced himself to talk.  
  
"I'm really sorry that I snapped at you this morning. I know I said it already, but I wanted to make sure you knew I meant it."  
  
He looked at her, holding his breath, hoping she wasn't still angry.  
  
"Harry, don't worry about it," he said smirking at him. "I told you to find someone else to go with, and I really shouldn't have been surprised how quickly you did."  
  
Harry laughed at that.  
  
"Well I was surprised," he said smiling.  
  
"I just hope I get to meet her. What was her name again? Melanie?"  
  
"Yes," Harry said, nodding.  
  
"Or Mel," Ginny muttered, looking pointedly at Cho. Harry glared at her.  
  
"As in, the Mel that we were talking about a little while ago?" Cho asked, looking from Ginny to Harry.  
  
Harry felt his face turn red and couldn't answer. He was furious with Ginny for doing that. Of course he was going to tell Cho, but not until after she'd met Mel, seen how nice she could be. Now her opinion was going to be based entirely on what she'd heard that morning.  
  
"So that's why you were so sure it wasn't her," Cho muttered, clearly annoyed again. "Why didn't you just tell me?"  
  
"Tell you when? I wasn't going to bring up my date to the Yule Ball in the hospital wing, and we only just started talking about it now!" Harry said, wanting her to hear him out.  
  
Cho just shook her head.  
  
"I'll see you later," she said, standing up quickly. Without looking back, she strode down the aisle and out of the great hall.  
  
Harry looked after Cho in stunned silence, wanting to go after her, but feeling it would be better to wait until she'd cooled off a little. He finished his lunch quickly, before getting up from the table and heading for the doors, without a word to his friends.  
  
After making it just a few feet down the hall, however, he heard footsteps behind him. Believing it to be Ron or Hermione and not in the mood to talk, he quickened his pace, hoping they'd get the point and just let him be.  
  
"Slow down, will you?" he heard an unexpected voice call from behind him.  
  
"Sara?" he asked, turning around quickly.  
  
"Yes, hey," she said, trotting up beside him.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked, rather anxious to just be on his way, but trying to seem patient.  
  
"I wanted to ask you if everything was alright. Is Ginny okay? What happened up there?"  
  
Harry cleared his throat.  
  
"Sara I honestly don't know everything yet," he said gently. "All I can tell you is Ginny's broom fell apart and I was able to catch her before she fell. She's a bit shaken up over everything but she'll be fine."  
  
"That's good to hear. Do you think they'll give us a rematch?" she asked.  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
"If they don't cancel the season, I suppose so. Nobody won, right?" he asked, realizing he had no idea. She could have caught the snitch while he'd been.preoccupied. Though most likely someone would have told him.  
  
"No, no one won. Though I saw you spot the snitch just before you looked all scared."  
  
"What?" Harry asked. "Before I looked scared? You were watching me.and you saw the snitch too?"  
  
Sara nodded.  
  
"I wasn't watching you the entire time, but I happened to look over at you when you spotted the snitch, I knew by your expression that was what you were looking at. I found it too, just after you did, but when I looked back at you something was different, you looked worried and you weren't moving much." She paused for a moment and shrugged. "I didn't think it would be fair to go for it, so I pretended I hadn't seen it."  
  
"You could've won," Harry said, a bemused smile on his face. "The game would've been over and assuming they don't cancel the season, Ravenclaw would be ahead of Gryffindor."  
  
"But it wouldn't have been fair. Don't get me wrong, I want to beat you, but not on a fluke."  
  
Harry nodded, grinning.  
  
"Well I can respect that," he said. "I look forward to our next match."  
  
"So do I," she said with a smile, before starting to turn away.  
  
"Um, Sara?" Harry began, calling her back.  
  
"Yeah?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.  
  
"I didn't see your cousin as I left the great hall.um.you wouldn't know where she is, would you?"  
  
"Mel went up to the owlery," Sara replied happily. She waved at him and he returned it, before she turned again and headed back towards the great hall.  
  
Harry watched her go for a moment, before setting off for the owlery. If Mel had been the one to curse the broom, he was going to find out. Now.  
  
Harry made his way up to the owlery, stepping through the doorway into the afternoon sun. The late November air had a touch of a chill to it as it ruffled through his hair. He hesitated just a moment, before heading to the left, where Mel had shown him Elliot's perch. Sure enough, as he got closer, he heard a girl's voice, cooing gently, and he stepped into the aisle.  
  
"You sure do send a lot of letters," Harry said, trying to keep his voice light. He didn't want her to know his reason for being there just yet.  
  
Mel looked quickly over her shoulder, a surprised expression on her face, but when she caught sight of Harry, she smiled.  
  
"What are you doing up.?" she began but trailed off as she caught sight of his robes, her expression one of horror.  
  
"Is that blood?" she asked, sounding ill.  
  
Harry glanced down, realizing he hadn't changed out of his quidditch robes yet.  
  
"It's not mine," he assured her quickly, holding up his hands.  
  
"Ginny's?" she asked, suddenly looking very concerned.  
  
"Yes, actually," Harry replied. "Her hands were hurt quite badly when her broom began coming apart."  
  
"You mean when your broom began coming apart," Mel said. "I noticed you weren't using your Firebolt, everyone in Slytherin did. It was all anyone talked about until.well.until everything happened." She shrugged, before continuing with a smirk. "You never told me you had a Moontrimmer already."  
  
"I know," he answered simply, trying to read her eyes for any sign that she might be upset that he hadn't been hurt.  
  
"Is Ginny alright?" Mel asked when Harry didn't say anything else.  
  
"She's okay in that she doesn't need to stay in the hospital wing tonight," Harry began, "but besides that no, she isn't exactly alright. She could have died out there today."  
  
"Yeah I saw that," Mel said somberly. "Thank goodness you were able to get to her in time," she added, meeting his eyes.  
  
Harry just nodded and spoke quietly.  
  
"Well what would make me happiest right now, is to know who did that to her broom."  
  
"Who's examining it?" Mel asked. "Have they found anything yet?"  
  
Harry eyed her carefully. He kept telling himself it was absurd to suspect Mel of having done this. The questions she was asking were just showing concern, nothing more. However, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of suspicion towards her. He couldn't tell if it was just him, or if she seemed a bit too eager to know if anyone had found anything.  
  
"Dumbledore is having a look at it, but nothing yet," he said slowly and couldn't help himself from adding, "You wouldn't know anything about all this, would you?"  
  
Harry watched Mel carefully, waiting for her response. He was shocked however when her reaction wasn't one of surprise or anger, but sadness.  
  
She looked down at her hands, fidgeting somewhat, before meeting his gaze again; she gave a hollow laugh before speaking.  
  
"I was wondering if you were going to ask me that."  
  
Harry's brow furrowed in confusion as he spoke.  
  
"So.you do know something then?"  
  
"No," Mel replied, sounding slightly annoyed. She turned away, looking out over the school grounds. "It was obvious from the second you came up here Harry. I knew you suspected me; I was just waiting for you to get to the point." she spun back around to face him, "and here it is."  
  
The two of them looked at each other in silence, neither one quite sure what to make of the other.  
  
Mel shook her head and sighed.  
  
"See you around Harry, it's been great fun and all, but I guess you won't be allowed to talk to me anymore." she trailed off as she began to walk past him.  
  
"Hey," he said, partly irritated and grabbing her arm as she went by. She looked defiantly into his eyes. "First of all, I don't know what you mean by being 'allowed' to talk to you, do you think I have to run my friends by Dumbledore to see if they're okay or not? Secondly." he trailed off, winding down some, seeing the true hurt in her eyes.  
  
"Look," he began, his voice taking on a gentler tone. "I'm sorry, I did this all wrong." He paused a moment, waiting for a response, but got none.  
  
Sighing lightly, he continued.  
  
"If you're still willing to speak to me, I'd like to explain what happened," he said.  
  
"Do you really think I'm the one who did that to Ginny?" Mel asked, evenly.  
  
Harry looked into her eyes for a long moment, before slowly shaking his head.  
  
"Alright then," Mel said, her voice unreadable, "I'm listening."  
  
Harry let go of her arm and together they walked to the edge of the wall, sitting down and letting their legs hang over the side. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to tell her what happened in the hospital wing, and why he had sounded so accusatory towards her.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said when he was finished. "I knew it wasn't you."  
  
"But your friends sure seem to think so," she said quietly, watching as the water on the lake rippled from the wind. Harry followed her gaze and a peaceful quiet followed, until he finally spoke again.  
  
"I can't make them change their minds," he said almost apologetically, "but I won't agree with them."  
  
"Well either way, I guess this means we can't go to the ball together." Mel trailed off, still not looking at him.  
  
"You don't want to go with me anymore?" Harry asked, trying not to sound too hurt.  
  
Mel turned her head and looked into his eyes.  
  
"You mean.you do want to go with me? Even after all this?" she paused a second before going on. "But your friends."  
  
"Mel, please." Harry interrupted, "please stop worrying about what my friends think. I want to go with you; I've been looking forward to it, actually. So don't base your decision on that.okay?"  
  
Mel's face broke out in a huge grin, and she leaned over and hugged him. He hesitated a moment, before hugging her back and when the separated she was still smiling.  
  
"Thank you," she said, sounding more like herself now.  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"Oh I don't think you have anything to be thanking me for." he began, trailing off as a new thought occurred to him. "Mel, would you be able to do something for me?" he asked his expression turning serious. She nodded quickly, waiting for him to go on.  
  
"I know you don't exactly get along with Malfoy any more, but you can still get a lot closer to him than I can."  
  
"You want me to see if he did it?" she asked, reading his thoughts.  
  
"Well nothing that will arouse his suspicions of you.but if you could just listen any time he's nearby.see if he slips anything out. I'm sure he'd brag to his friends." he trailed off. "If you don't mind, that is."  
  
Mel shook her head, smiling.  
  
"No I don't mind," she replied.  
  
"Thanks," he said. "I don't know if it was him or not, but even if all that comes of this is we can completely take him off the list, it brings us closer to finding the real enemy."  
  
"I'll be keeping my ears open anytime he's nearby," Mel assured him, before pushing back from the edge of the wall. "I really should get going now," she said.  
  
"Yeah, same here," Harry said, thinking of the way he'd left things with his friends. He stood up with her and they walked back towards the entrance to the Owlery. They went through the halls, talking about class and quidditch, until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.  
  
"This is where I get off," Harry said with a grin. "I'll see you in class!"  
  
"Yep, see you then!" Mel said with a wave as she continued on down the hall. Harry watched her go for a few moments, before turning to the portrait and entering the common room.  
  
As soon as the portrait shut behind him, Harry felt someone grab him around his middle. Looking down he saw Ginny had rushed over as she'd seen him enter, and was now giving him a fierce hug.  
  
"Hey," he smiled, feeling relieved that she didn't still seem angry with him. "Is everything alright?"  
  
"Harry I'm so sorry!" she said, looking up at him. "I shouldn't have done that at lunch.I shouldn't have said anything in front of Cho!"  
  
He grinned at her and nodded.  
  
"Look don't worry about it, I'll talk to Cho later." he trailed off, looking back to the corner they usually sat in. "Or maybe I'll do it now," he mumbled. Ron and Hermione were sitting in their usual seats, and Cho was in his. They were all looking at him, waiting. He led Ginny back to the others where she took the last empty seat, before he turned and looked at Cho.  
  
"Where were you?" she asked, evenly.  
  
"The owlery," he replied, matching her tone.  
  
Cho nodded slightly before speaking again.  
  
"With Mel?" she asked, now a slight edge to her voice.  
  
"Did you come here to harp on me some more?" Harry asked, irritated.  
  
Cho sat back in her chair, sighing in frustration.  
  
"I went to the owlery to find out if Mel was the one who cursed the broom," Harry said quietly, kneeling down near Cho's chair.  
  
"You actually asked her that?" Ron asked incredulously. "What did she say?"  
  
"She didn't do it." Harry began.  
  
"Well I doubt she'd just admit it if she did," Cho pointed out.  
  
"You weren't there," Harry went on. "You didn't see the look in her eyes." He glanced around at the faces of his friends before continuing.  
  
"You can all think whatever you want, but I believe Mel had nothing to do with this. I'm still going to the ball with her too."  
  
The other four all exchanged nervous glances before Hermione finally spoke.  
  
"Harry, is that really a good idea? How can you be positive she wasn't lying?"  
  
Harry just looked at her, not feeling angry or upset, just tired. He shrugged loosely before replying.  
  
"Like I said Hermione, if you had seen her face.her eyes.when I asked her if she had anything to do with it." he trailed off feeling guilty for even implying to Mel that he though she might've done it.  
  
"She didn't curse the broom," he finished quietly.  
  
For a few moments no one spoke. Harry wouldn't look at his friends because he didn't want to see the doubt or frustration he could only imagine they were feeling. He picked at his fingernails, absently, waiting.  
  
Cho was the first to do anything and slowly slid off her chair until she was kneeling next to Harry. He looked up into her eyes, silently.  
  
"Walk with me?" she asked in a whisper, nodding towards the portrait hole. He gave her a questioning look, but nodded that he would before pulling himself up into a standing position. After helping her up as well, he turned to the others.  
  
"I'll be back in a bit," he said quietly.  
  
"Make sure you're not out after curfew!" Hermione warned and Harry couldn't help but smile, expecting nothing less from her. He nodded his assurance that he would indeed return in time, before crossing the room with Cho and exiting through the portrait hole.  
  
Harry and Cho walked through the halls, aimlessly, in silence.  
  
"Are you still mad at me?" Harry asked finally, unable to stand the silence any longer.  
  
Cho looked up slowly and shook her head.  
  
"No, I'm not mad," she replied with a smile.  
  
"Oh," Harry said, glad to hear it, but somewhat surprised. "Um.what did you want to talk about then?" he asked.  
  
"I need to have a reason to walk with my boyfriend now?" she asked with a sly grin.  
  
"Wha..? Er.no." Harry stammered, feeling confused. "No, not at all, I just.wasn't expecting you to be.alright.with this." he said in bewilderment.  
  
"Look," she began, putting her arm through his, "I know I might've gotten a little bit.heated.earlier, but I've had time to think about things. I trust your judgment Harry. If you say Mel didn't do it.well then she didn't do it."  
  
"Are you feeling alright?" Harry asked, looking at Cho in amazement. He put up his hand to her head as if he were feeling for a temperature.  
  
"Stop it," she laughed, swatting his hand away. Harry laughed along with her but wasn't feeling right about this. When he'd touched her head it was like ice, but she didn't appear cold in the least. She smiled up at him before resting her head on his shoulder and continuing on.  
  
It was then that Harry realized Cho was taking them down several hallways that were very familiar to him. They were now very close to the guest rooms.  
  
"Tired?" he asked as the doorway came into view.  
  
"Very," Cho replied, sounding anything but. Harry knew something was wrong, he didn't to leave her alone, but he also didn't feel going where she obviously wanted him to go was a very good idea.  
  
"Maybe we should wait for Dobby to show up before going inside." Harry trailed off, trying to find some way to stall for time.  
  
"He's already inside," Cho replied sweetly. "He came by just before I left to find you and said he'd wait here."  
  
"Did he?" Harry asked uneasily. He watched as Cho opened the door and stepped inside, before cautiously following her through. The first thing he noticed was Dobby was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Where is he?" Harry asked, trying not to sound strained.  
  
"Oh," Cho said as if just remembering something, "I asked him to wait inside.c'mon, I'll show you."  
  
"How about we call him to come out?" Harry asked. "Then we can go in."  
  
Cho looked at him, uncertainly, as if she were considering something very carefully. She'd already opened the next door and had one foot inside of her room. Suddenly she lunged forward, grabbing Harry's arm forcefully, twisting it as she dragged him towards her, and it was then he saw what he'd been afraid of. Her eyes turned black. It wasn't Cho, it was a shapeshifter. 


	13. Chapter 13

The shapeshifter released Harry, pushing him halfway across the room, before slamming the door behind it. Harry shoved his hands into his robes, only to discover his wand was missing. Looking back up he felt his stomach twist as he saw the shapeshifter holding it, smiling evilly.  
  
"Is pick-pocketing one of the many skills of a shapeshifter too?" Harry asked icily.  
  
Transforming back to its normal form, the shapeshifter ignored the question. Raising the wand at Harry, it growled in a low voice.  
  
"Sit."  
  
Harry stood defiantly for a moment, wanting to do something while there was only one of them. He knew if he could get his wand back, he'd be out of there. A shapeshifter's magic ability was nowhere near that of a normal wizard when it came to using a wand. However they weren't completely unpracticed at it, and he didn't know exactly how strong this one was.  
  
Turning slowly, he started towards the couch behind him, and gasped in shock. He raced over to where Cho was lying half on and half off the seat, pulling her to him as he sat down. Her head rolled limply on her neck, and he began to feel dread creep up inside him. Forcing it away, he lowered his head to her chest, and was quite relieved to hear a heartbeat.  
  
Stop panicking, he thought fiercely to himself. He knew shapeshifters couldn't take the form of a dead person, and the only chance they had of getting out of there, it seemed, was for him not to jump to conclusions as he just had.  
  
Looking down at Cho's unconscious form, his determination hardened. He would not let anything happen to her.  
  
The door opened again and now three more shapeshifters walked in silently. The four of them stood together, huddled in discussion. Harry strained to hear anything they were saying, but could make nothing out.  
  
After about fifteen minutes, they broke apart at last, turning to face the two students. Harry waited tensely, holding Cho protectively in his arms. Suddenly she stirred and he looked down at her anxiously.  
  
"Cho, are you alright?" he asked, propping her up slightly. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked right into Harry's. He was horrified to see no emotion in them, no feeling whatsoever. Pushing herself away from him, she stood up and walked over to the shapeshifters.  
  
"Let her go," Harry said, standing up as well. He knew they were controlling her, just as they'd done with his friends at the end of his fifth year. "You don't need her, just leave her alone."  
  
"Shut up!" one of them spat at him. "We will take who we need, and our Lord was quite clear on getting both of you."  
  
"But.why?" Harry asked, needing to know what Voldemort wanted with her. He looked at Cho, who didn't even seem to recognize him at this moment, and didn't realize until it was too late that the shapeshifters had arranged themselves loosely around him. Glancing around quickly, he took a step back from the one directly in front of him, only to lunge forward, wanting to break through.  
  
He caught one off guard, knocking him to the floor, but another that was standing to his right was ready, and grabbed his arm before he could get completely past. Harry yanked on his arm, and would have freed himself, if the other two hadn't come over so quickly. In a flash he was being held by all three shapeshifters, struggling in vain, as the one he'd gotten past, brushed himself off.  
  
Harry tried with all of his strength to pull away as the lead shapeshifter stretched out his dark hand to him, to no avail. He felt the cold touch as the hand brushed his shoulder and the feeling that his energy was being completely drained from him was overcoming him for the second time in his life.  
  
As the shapeshifter released the hold after what felt like hours, Harry slumped in the grasp of the others. He watched with blurred vision, as the one in front of him slowly became him, while he was powerless to stop it. His eyelids were growing heavy and his arms and legs felt like led, but he forced himself to stay conscious.  
  
The other him reached into his cloak, pulling out a long, folded sheet of thick red fabric, holding it out to the nearest shapeshifter, Harry heard his own voice.  
  
"Put him in this, then we leave immediately."  
  
Harry watched in a daze, as two of the shapeshifters knelt down beside him, one of them pushed his legs together, while the other began wrapping the fabric around him. He did a double take, sure he was imagining things, but realized with horror, that he was becoming invisible. Trying to kick out of the fabric was useless, it was already up past his knees and he could no longer move his legs. The third shapeshifter held his arms at his sides as the first one kept winding the cloth around him.  
  
Hearing the door open, Harry looked over to see the other him checking the hallway for any unwanted visitors.  
  
"Hurry," he said to the others, "we need to move now!"  
  
Harry was barely holding onto consciousness as it was, but didn't take his eyes away from the door, and the fake him. Just as he felt the fabric on his neck, he spotted something that made his heart leap. Dobby! Dobby had come to watch Cho as he did every night!  
  
He opened his mouth to call to the small house elf, as Dobby had only just spotted the other him, when something was shoved roughly into his mouth. Before he could do anything, the fabric was wound across his face, and up over his head, and he felt someone lay him down on the floor. He couldn't see, move or talk, and no one besides the shapeshifters knew he was there.  
  
Trying desperately to make noise, he began to struggle against the fabric, but all he was doing was making it harder to breathe as it tightened around him. He was fading fast, barely hearing anything going on around him any longer, but what he could hear didn't sound pleasant. Please just let Cho be alright, he thought. It was the last thing that crossed his mind, as he felt someone lifting him up off the floor, and faded into the blackness.  
  
When he awoke sometime later, everything was still black. For a moment, he was afraid he was still bound in the fabric, but realized he couldn't feel it. He was breathing normally and the gag was gone. Moving slowly as his head still ached fiercely; he sat up, knowing he was in a bed, but not yet recognizing where. He heard a soft click and a warm yellow light splayed over the room, making him squint.  
  
"Sorry," Sirius whispered, coming over to him and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I heard you moving and turned on the light," he paused for a moment taking a close look at his godson. "How are you?"  
  
"I have a terrible headache, but other than that." Harry trailed off, suddenly looking around frantically. "Where's Cho? Did the shapeshifters take her? What happened to Dobby? How did I."  
  
"Harry, calm down," Sirius interrupted in a firm tone. "Cho is alright, she's just in the next room, sleeping."  
  
"Where is here?" Harry asked looking around at the small room.  
  
"We're behind Dumbledore's office, but much further back than last time," Sirius explained. "You'd be surprised just how far back this really goes," he smiled, glancing around once before looking back at Harry.  
  
"How did I get here though?" Harry asked. They had this red fabric.it made me invisible," he said, looking down at his hands. "I couldn't move."  
  
"Dobby brought you and Cho here," Sirius said, gently.  
  
"What about the shapeshifters?" Harry asked.  
  
Sirius paused for a moment, before responding, quietly.  
  
"They're dead."  
  
Harry's eyes widened.  
  
"Dobby.he.he actually killed them?" he asked in shock, not able to even think about Dobby as being able to take a life.  
  
Sirius nodded.  
  
"They were going to take you, and you know how protective he is of you. There was no way he was letting that happen."  
  
"How did he know the shapeshifter wasn't the real me though?" Harry asked.  
  
"You'll have to ask him," Sirius replied. "But I've never seen him so angry as he was when he brought you and Cho here yesterday. You could almost see smoke coming out of his ears." Sirius trailed off, not sounding in the least as if he were joking.  
  
Harry leaned back against the headboard, thinking.  
  
"So we've been here since yesterday?" he said quietly, looking up only with his eyes. "I'm never going to go through a year here without missing school time. Always out for one reason or another." he trailed off, considering. "Hey, wait a minute. Why aren't I in the hospital wing?"  
  
"After what happened Dumbledore and I agreed the closer you were to us, the better," Sirius explained. "The school is getting more dangerous by the day Harry, and as much as we try to keep this from the students, you need to realize it. We don't want everyone in a panic, but you must be careful."  
  
"How do they keep getting in?" Harry asked. Sirius shook his head.  
  
"We don't know." he began. "There are many things about the school that even Dumbledore doesn't know. It's enormous, and that's why we keep up nightly patrols. If we can't stop them from getting in, we're going to catch them while they're here."  
  
Harry nodded, trying not to feel afraid, but unable not to. He wasn't afraid for himself so much as for his friends. It was obvious Voldemort wanted Cho at least, and he would never forgive himself if something happened to her.  
  
"Can I see Cho?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling he needed to see with his own eyes that she was alright.  
  
"She's still asleep." Sirius began.  
  
"That's fine," Harry cut in, quickly. "I won't wake her, just want to make sure."  
  
Sirius looked like he wanted to say no, but sighed reluctantly and nodded.  
  
"C'mon, she's just back through here," he said, standing up.  
  
Harry got out of the bed, fighting a wave of dizziness as he did so, and followed Sirius through a door at the back of the room. Once the light was on, he could see Cho, sleeping soundly, on a bed in the corner.  
  
He tiptoed over to her, and knelt down, crossing his arms on the bed in front of him. Laying his head on his hands, he just stared at her, watching her sleep, watching her breathe. She looked so peaceful, and he wanted her to be this way always. He didn't know how long he stayed like this, but he felt Sirius' hand on his shoulder all too soon.  
  
"You can see her when you've had more rest," he said quietly, and Harry stood up. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from Cho's face, before turning with his godfather and heading back to the next room.  
  
Later that night, Dumbledore asked that Harry and Cho come speak with him to tell what had happened. Harry asked that Ron, Hermione and Ginny be allowed to come too, as they were going to be told eventually, and he'd rather tell everyone at once.  
  
Soon enough, the usual crowd was settled into chairs in the office. Harry wasn't too surprised to see Dobby had been brought there as well, though he looked frightened. He glanced around, thinking about how much their little group had grown over the years. There was Ron, Hermione and himself, along with Ginny and Cho. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Remus and Sirius were there, as were Marzia and Gazten. Harry knew Snape would've been there as well, if he were feeling better.  
  
"Mr. Potter, Miss Chang," Dumbledore said at last, looking at the two of them. "I'm quite relieved to have you both here with us today. And as much as I know you don't like it, it is very important for you both to explain exactly what happened last night."  
  
Harry and Cho exchanged glances briefly.  
  
"I'll start," Cho whispered, "I ran into them before you did."  
  
Harry nodded slightly and listened as Cho told of what had happened.  
  
They'd been waiting for her in her room when she returned. After stunning two of them, the other two got a hold of her before she could do any more. They took her wand away and held her in place, while one of the others, who revived much faster than a wizard who'd been stunned would have, touched her. The shapeshifter took her form and she could no longer stay conscious, so she blacked out.  
  
Harry placed a protective arm around Cho as she finished, wanting her to feel safe. He could tell by her eyes how very afraid she actually was. She moved a little closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
Looking over at Ron, Hermione and Ginny, Harry thought of a question.  
  
"How long was 'Cho' with you guys before I came?" he asked.  
  
The three of them exchanged glances.  
  
"Well," Ron began, "she came back to the great hall about half an hour after you left.  
  
"We were getting up to leave," Hermione added.  
  
"She ran into us on our way out," Ron continued.  
  
"And I asked her to come back with us," Ginny spoke up. "She sounded like she really wanted to talk with you," she said, looking at Harry.  
  
"I'll bet she did," Sirius said through clenched teeth. Harry looked from his godfather to his friends, before starting on his part of the story. He explained everything from leaving the common room with the other Cho, and how he began to feel something was wrong during their walk. How she'd been very anxious to just get into the guest room and finally forced him inside. He explained how it transformed back to normal and had managed to get his wand from him, and then told of the others showing up, taking control of Cho, and cornering him so the lead shapeshifter could now assume his form. He finished by explaining about the red fabric that they wrapped him in, and seeing Dobby just before his eyes were covered, then passed out.  
  
He looked towards Dobby then, to see the small house elf just shaking in fear.  
  
"Thank you Dobby," he said, sincerely. "You saved our lives."  
  
"Dobby only did what he had to.to save Harry Potter." Dobby almost whispered. "Did not mean to."  
  
"Dobby," Dumbledore cut him off, firmly but with a gentle twinkle in his eyes. "We all understand why you did what you did, and you are not in trouble for it."  
  
Dobby looked tearfully up at the headmaster, not looking relieved in the least.  
  
"Dobby," Harry began, needing to know, "How did you know that the shapeshifter wasn't me?"  
  
"Harry Potter doesn't smell bad," Dobby replied, meekly. "The bad Harry Potter smelled like.like.bad food."  
  
"Ew," Ron muttered, his nose crinkled. "I didn't think Cho smelled bad.the fake Cho, that is."  
  
"You wouldn't be able to," Hermione spoke up. "A house elf's sense of smell is a lot better than ours."  
  
"That's correct," Dumbledore smiled at Hermione. "Is that how you ended up finding Harry, Dobby?" he asked.  
  
The small elf nodded.  
  
"Dobby could not see Harry Potter, he had to use his nose. Harry Potter was trapped.not awake." he said, getting all worked up. "Brought Harry Potter and his friend to the headmaster right away!"  
  
"Then you did good Dobby," Sirius spoke up. "We are all grateful to you."  
  
Dobby still looked very unconvinced that what he'd done was good, but didn't argue.  
  
"I want you five to head straight back to your tower," Dumbledore said, standing up and looking at the students.  
  
"What about me?" Cho asked, lifting her head.  
  
"There's an empty bed in our dorm," Hermione said quickly. "You can stay there, if you like."  
  
Cho looked to the headmaster, who nodded.  
  
"The safest places to be right now, are in the house towers. I think it's a good idea to have you where there are many others around."  
  
Cho nodded, seeming very relived that she wouldn't be alone tonight.  
  
"Dobby," Harry called as he stood up. The house elf looked up at him slowly. "Will you walk with us? Please?"  
  
"Yes," Dobby said nodding. "Dobby will do as Harry Potter wishes." The five of them said goodnight to the others in the room, before heading downstairs with Dobby.  
  
The next day classes went on as usual. Harry barely paid attention in any of them with all that was on his mind, and after Defense Against the Dark Arts was let out, Remus called him over. Waving to his friends and telling them he'd see them at dinner, he made his way up to the front of the room.  
  
"What is it Remus?" Harry asked, curiously.  
  
Remus gave Harry a long pointed look before speaking.  
  
"How are you doing, Harry? Don't just tell me 'fine,' I want an honest answer from you."  
  
Harry sighed, inaudibly, becoming very interested in the floor.  
  
"Ginny was almost killed because of me, Cho and I were both almost taken the other night.I just want them to leave my friends out of this," Harry said in exasperation, flinging his arms up.  
  
"We all want this to be over Harry," Remus said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We're all doing everything we can to make sure you and your friends are safe until we can end this."  
  
"If they'd just stop getting into the school that would be a lot easier," Harry said quietly.  
  
"Believe me when I tell you we are searching for any way they might possibly be getting in."  
  
"I know.Sirius told me," Harry cut him off.  
  
Remus nodded, trying to smile reassuringly, before deciding to change the subject.  
  
"So I see Dobby was quite upset last night," he began.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"He'd never killed anyone before." he trailed off.  
  
"Did you talk to him about it?" Remus asked gently.  
  
"We talked about it a little," Harry replied with a shrug. "He thought Dumbledore was going to make him leave, send him away. It's like even though he knows what he did wasn't for the wrong reasons.he.he still feels guilty."  
  
Harry looked up into Remus' eyes.  
  
"And I'm the reason he did it. He'd be his happy self again if it weren't for me."  
  
"Don't say that, ever," Remus cut in firmly. "He would certainly not be his 'happy self,' no one here would, if you were taken. He'd feel even more guilt then he does now, thinking he should have been there to stop them."  
  
"Yes but because of me."  
  
"Because of you," Remus said pointedly, "he is a free house elf who no longer has to call anyone master. You saved him from the Malfoy's and he's found himself a job that pays him. You, in some way, saved his life first. He's forever grateful to you.I'm sure you must see that."  
  
"I do." Harry began, looking down again. Sighing, he shook his head as if to rid himself of the thought.  
  
"Do you know if anything's been discovered about the broom yet?" Harry asked.  
  
Remus opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, considering. Finally he spoke.  
  
"Dumbledore will be talking with you about that later tonight. Let's go down to dinner, he'll be making an announcement this evening. I'm sure he'll want to see you after."  
  
Harry wanted to press him further, to find out more, but knew he could wait just a little bit longer. Grabbing his books from his desk, both he and Remus left the classroom, and started off for the great hall.  
  
Harry walked into the great hall, which was already full with students, heading quickly for the Gryffindor table, and his friends. Remus kept moving, up to the professor's table, and took his seat next to McGonagall.  
  
"Everything okay?" Ron asked as Harry took his seat across from him.  
  
"I guess we'll find out soon," Harry replied, grabbing food from the trays in front of him. "Dumbledore is going to make an announcement tonight."  
  
"About what?" Hermione asked with interest. Harry shrugged.  
  
"I don't know yet.though Remus only brought it up after I asked about the Firebolt. So I guess it has something to do with that."  
  
"Did he say if they knew anything about it?" Ginny asked.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"No, he just said Dumbledore would want to talk to me after dinner."  
  
As if on cue, the headmaster chose that moment to stand up. Clearing his throat, his deep voice projected throughout the hall.  
  
"If I could please have everyone's attention for a moment!" he called.  
  
Silence immediately settled over the room and everyone turned to look at the headmaster.  
  
"Thank you," Dumbledore began. "I am sorry to disrupt your dinners, but there is something that must be addressed before any more time passes. I'm sure you are all aware of the unfortunate incident that occurred during the first game of this year's quidditch season. Now while my initial impulse is to cancel the games, I am going to go against my better judgment. The games will be postponed, however, until after the winter holidays and will resume in February, beginning with a rematch between the two houses that began the season."  
  
A loud chatter broke out among the students, all seeming very happy they would still be able to continue with their favorite sport.  
  
"There will be, however," Dumbledore continued, loud enough to silence the room once more, "certain changes. Practices will not be allowed to go late into the evening. When the sun is setting, your practice is over. Also, two days before any match is to take place, the house teams that are to be playing will turn their brooms over to Madam Hooch for inspection."  
  
At this, another outburst came from the students, mostly those on the house teams.  
  
"Two days? That's not fair!"  
  
"We'll need that time to practice!"  
  
"How will we be ready in time?"  
  
Harry, Ron and Ginny stayed quiet during this, keeping their eyes on their plates.  
  
"Silence, please!" Dumbledore called out in a booming voice that brought instant results. "It is either that or we cancel the season. I know that you need to practice, but unfortunately these precautions are necessary for everyone's safety."  
  
There was no outburst this time, but there were many unhappy faces in the great hall, and a few of them, mostly from the Slytherin table, were directed at Harry and Ginny, who didn't fail to notice the stares.  
  
"Ignore them," Ron said quietly. "It was probably one of them who cursed the broom in the first place."  
  
Dumbledore thanked them and again took his seat. Normal chatter resumed. Harry didn't feel like talking much. He was glad to know he would at least be playing quidditch again, but had too many other things on his mind to enjoy that thought for long. They finished their dinner quickly and were just getting up as Marzia made her way over to them.  
  
"Hello," she said pleasantly, looking at all of them and smiling. Hermione returned the smile while Ron kept his expression even. "Harry, Ginny," she said turning to them. "Professor Dumbledore would like to see you both." They nodded at her, and said good-bye to the others, before following Marzia out of the great hall.  
  
When Harry and Ginny stepped into the office with Marzia, they saw Dumbledore and Sirius waiting for them.  
  
"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore began with a smile. "Please, sit down."  
  
Harry and Ginny made their way over to the closest chairs and sat, waiting anxiously for whatever the headmaster had to tell them.  
  
"I suppose you already know," Dumbledore began, "the reason I asked you both to come here this evening, has to do with the Firebolt."  
  
"Did you find out what happened to it?" Harry asked, immediately, leaning forward in his seat.  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"The curse that was used on your broom is an older one. We don't show students how to do it here any longer, as all it is good for is destruction. We do know that it has to be cast within twenty-four hours of going into effect. Whoever is responsible, had access to the broom not more than one day before the match."  
  
"But how is that possible?" Ginny asked in shock. "The broom was always in my dorm except when I was practicing. I've never noticed it missing, or even out of place for that matter!"  
  
"There's no way the person who did this could have performed the curse from a distance?" Harry asked.  
  
"Not a chance Harry," Marzia spoke up, apologetically. "You need to have direct contact with the object for the curse to work. Once you've cast it, it'll go off whenever you want it to, within a day."  
  
"Well who did it then?" Ginny asked, sounding slightly afraid. "No Gryffindor would take my broom, especially not for that reason. So someone else got into my room." she trailed off, shuddering involuntarily.  
  
"I regret to say, we still don't have an answer for that question," Dumbledore spoke, gravely.  
  
"It doesn't make sense that whoever did this actually got inside the tower," Sirius spoke up suddenly.  
  
"How doesn't it.?" Harry began.  
  
"If they actually got past the portrait, and believe me I know how hard that is," Sirius said, rolling his eyes in disgust. "Then why even bother cursing the broom at that point? Whether they were after you or Ginny, you were both easy targets in there."  
  
Harry sighed in frustration.  
  
"None of this makes any sense!" he said fiercely, pounding a fist into his knee.  
  
"I understand how you're feeling Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "We will do everything we can to find who did this.  
  
"I know," Harry said, trying to force a smile. He trusted Dumbledore and Sirius with his life, but there had been too many narrow escapes already to feel entirely safe.  
  
"C'mon," Sirius said, crossing the room to where the two students were seated. "I'll see that you get back to your tower okay, before I have to go."  
  
Harry jerked his head up suddenly.  
  
"Go? Go where?" he asked, worried.  
  
Sirius looked over his shoulder at Dumbledore, who simply nodded once, his expression unreadable.  
  
"I'll explain on the way," he said. Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance, before getting up. They said goodnight to Dumbledore and Marzia, before following Sirius out of the office.  
  
"So what's going on Sirius?" Harry asked as soon as they'd stepped into the hallway. "Where are you going?"  
  
"Both Marzia and I need to leave, actually," Sirius began. "Only for a night, so don't worry, it won't be long."  
  
"But where?" Harry prompted.  
  
Sirius sighed.  
  
"We need to go back to the ministry," Sirius said, then rushed on. "But.not exactly through the front door."  
  
"You're sneaking in?" Harry asked, his eyes wide.  
  
"But why?" Ginny asked, openly concerned.  
  
"We're not going for anything more than to check things out.for now," Sirius said. "Thurston didn't think it necessary to warn us about the dementors. He didn't seem too concerned for your health or anyone else's for that matter. We have a pretty good suspicion that he had something to do with both Menetor and Fern being able to find Cho when she left. And to top it off, not once have they tried to send word to Percy. They haven't asked us if something's happen, or sent anyone to check on him. If he was supposed to be reporting back to them regularly, why when he stops do they not even try to contact him? There's something very wrong there."  
  
"So why go then?" Harry asked, obviously very worried. "Why not go when there are more people at least?"  
  
"If we go during the day it will be harder to find anything out. They're not going to talk about the things we want to hear, when there are too many people around."  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"I don't know how you can be so sure about this," he began. "How do you know that they even stay there after hours?"  
  
"We don't," Sirius said simply. "But the only way we're going to find out is to go there. As I said, we're not going to confront anyone, should we see or hear anything at all. We're just going to check things out."  
  
Harry couldn't shake the feeling that this was a very bad idea, but didn't argue anymore. He knew whatever he said wasn't going to change Sirius' mind. At least his godfather wouldn't be alone.  
  
When they reached the portrait of the fat lady, Harry turned to Sirius.  
  
"Promise me you'll be careful. Don't do anything stupid."  
  
"Hey!" Sirius said, trying to sound insulted, but grinning just the same.  
  
"I'm serious," Harry continued. "Thurston wasn't eager in the least to clear your name a few months ago. He'd look for any excuse to throw you in jail, and breaking and entering the ministry itself.look just please don't get caught." He looked pleadingly into his godfather's eyes.  
  
"I'll be back tomorrow morning Harry," Sirius said, placing a hand on his godson's shoulder. "I promise."  
  
Harry nodded. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Sirius. It was true there could be nobody in the ministry at night. But what if there were death eaters? Or worse.  
  
Shaking the thoughts from his head, he looked back into Sirius' eyes. He said goodnight, and gave his godfather a fierce hug, before turning and entering the portrait hole. Ginny said goodnight quietly, and Sirius stood there and watched, until the door was completely shut behind them.  
  
As the door shut behind them, Harry and Ginny crossed the room to where Ron, Hermione and Cho were waiting for them.  
  
"How'd it go?" Cho asked, standing up as they neared.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"I'm even more confused than I was before," he said sullenly.  
  
"Do we at least know who's responsible for cursing the broom?" Ron asked.  
  
"No," Harry said as he sat down with Cho. Ginny went to the last empty chair and settled down into it, before they both began explaining what they had been told just a short while ago.  
  
"Er.That just about rules out.everyone," Ron said as they finished. "Who could possibly have gotten in our tower, to the broom, cursed it, and gotten out with none of us noticing?"  
  
"They could have done it while we slept." Hermione pointed out.  
  
"But how did they get past the fat lady?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well obviously they had the password," Hermione replied.  
  
Ron shook his head.  
  
"Then it would have to be someone in here now, because none of the teachers would do it and no one from another house has our password."  
  
"Which also doesn't make sense," Harry said. "What Gryffindor would curse someone from their own house?"  
  
"Maybe someone who wanted a position on the team?" Ron suggested with a shrug. Hermione threw him a withering look.  
  
"What?" he asked, defensively. "It's not so hard to believe someone else in here wants to be on the quidditch team."  
  
"But to go so far as to endanger Ginny's life?" Hermione asked. "Who do you know here that would do that?"  
  
"Well.no one," Ron replied. "Yet. We have to start listening around though because it's really beginning to seem like the only likely explanation is another Gryffindor did it."  
  
"I wouldn't say that's a likely explanation," Ginny spoke up, "but at least it's a place to start."  
  
"I guess that'll have to do," Harry murmured, seeming indifferent.  
  
Cho, Ron and Hermione looked at him curiously.  
  
"Did something else happen?" Cho asked, concerned.  
  
Harry sat in silence for a moment, seeming to be lost in thought, but shook himself out of it soon enough and met Cho's gaze.  
  
"Sirius and Marzia.they're sneaking into the ministry tonight."  
  
"What for?" Ron asked immediately, his eyes wide.  
  
"For no good reason, that's for sure," Harry said trying not to sound too angry, but feeling bitter. "They're risking their lives to see if they can find out more about Thurston."  
  
He paused a moment before explaining exactly what Sirius had told him, wishing it were the next day. He had a feeling this could be a long night.  
  
His friends did their best to reassure him that everything would be alright, that Sirius and Marzia would make it back okay. As much as he appreciated their efforts, it wasn't working. Deciding to just try and get some rest, he said goodnight and headed upstairs.  
  
Harry sat awake in bed for hours, unable to get comfortable. He tossed and turned half the night before finally giving up and pushing himself into a sitting position. He held the curtains around his four- poster back slightly and grabbed his glasses and watch to see it was only a little past two in the morning.  
  
Sirius was all he could think about. He needed to know his godfather was okay and knew it was the reason he wasn't getting any sleep.  
  
In an effort to get his mind off of that he concentrated on the only other thing he could think of. Who cursed the broom? If it truly was a Gryffindor student, then who? It wasn't as if he knew all of his housemates very well, but he knew a great deal of them. It was hard to believe any of them could have done this.  
  
"Well it had to be someone," he whispered to himself firmly. Sitting in silence for a while longer, he was still unable to come up with even a possible suspect, when suddenly he was struck by an idea. It was a long shot, but it just might work.  
  
Pushing the curtains completely away, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.  
  
Heading immediately for his trunk, Harry rummaged through as quietly as possible until he found the Marauder's Map. Glancing around at his four roommates, he decided it would be better to do this downstairs in the common room and grabbed his wand off his bedside table before heading for the door.  
  
Once downstairs, he settled down in the nearest chair before holding the blank piece of parchment open in front of him and held up his wand.  
  
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."  
  
He waited until the school finished appearing, before opening his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly.  
  
"I have no idea how to ask this," he whispered to himself, trying to think. He didn't even realize until he looked down that the map was talking to him.  
  
"What do you want now?" was written in what he recognized as Wormtail's scrawl.  
  
"To speak with someone besides you," he nearly spat at the map.  
  
There was no reply for what felt like an eternity. Harry was wondering if Wormtail was trying to get one of the others, or just ignoring him.  
  
"Are you still there?" he asked finally, exasperated.  
  
"Harry Potter?" the map asked.  
  
"Yes," Harry replied immediately, glad for any response. "Yes it's me." He paused for a moment, looking closer, and saw it was his father this time.  
  
"You're just a regular Marauder, aren't you?" Prongs said. "It seems you've been asking for our help quite a bit this year."  
  
Harry's heart swelled at seeing these words and for a moment, completely forgot the reason for opening the map in the first place. His father, his dad, had called him a Marauder. He didn't bother to mention that the times he'd asked for help were not to cause much trouble, but rather prevent it.  
  
"So what do you need this time?"  
  
This shook Harry from his thoughts and back to reality.  
  
"I know this is going to sound a bit.weird.but, does this map have a memory?"  
  
"It has our memories," came the answer.  
  
"I realize that," Harry said gently, "but what I mean is." he trailed off, considering. "For instance, the way you show me where everyone is in the school, by their names on the map. Well can you remember where people were going back a few days or so?"  
  
"And why would you need to know that?" came the reply, which Harry knew was Padfoot.  
  
"Not now," he whispered. He needed to get this information and he needed it soon.  
  
"That's not an answer," came the reply.  
  
"Oh quit acting like a git!" Prongs said suddenly.  
  
"Who are you calling a git, Potter?" Padfoot retorted.  
  
"This is what we wanted, right? Someone who would learn to use the map as well as we did.continuing the traditions."  
  
"Yes but he doesn't seem to want to use it for anything we did."  
  
"Hang on," Harry cut in. "Maybe I do want to use it for the same things as you. How else will I learn the secrets if I don't ask?"  
  
There was a brief pause, before Padfoot replied.  
  
"Alright then, how are you going to use the information, if we tell you what you want to know?"  
  
Harry didn't even hesitate before answering.  
  
"Someone cursed my broom and it almost caused us to lose the first quidditch match of the season. I want to find out who so I can.pay them back."  
  
"Told you," Prongs said.  
  
"Stuff a sock in it," Padfoot retorted. "Alright, when did this git get near your broom, and where was it?"  
  
Harry smiled watching the banter, stifling a laugh. He gave them the date of the quidditch match and the location of the broom, asking to see everything that happened that night.  
  
"Funny that your broom would be in a girl's dorm the night before a game, don't you think?" Padfoot asked.  
  
"Just show him Padfoot," Prongs said quickly.  
  
"Thank you!" Harry called as the words faded quickly. The map suddenly showed the school again, before slowly enlarging the sixth year girl's dorms in the Gryffindor Tower. He watched carefully as Ginny's name moved across the map in one corner of the room, probably getting ready for bed. Soon enough the five names that had been moving about became stationary as they went to sleep.  
  
Several minutes passed, nothing. A half hour, an hour, an hour and a half. No one new entered the room and no one inside moved either.  
  
As the two-hour mark neared, Harry was falling asleep in his chair.  
  
"This is getting me nowhere," he murmured as he pulled out his wand. He pointed it at the map and began to speak the incantation to shut it off, when at long last, someone entered the room and Harry's eyes widened in disbelief.  
  
"This can't be right," he whispered, watching the new name on the map. The person went immediately to Ginny's part of the room, pausing for a few seconds, before turning and heading back for the door.  
  
"Is what you're showing me the truth?" Harry asked aloud, feeling that this had to be a joke. Padfoot had decided to play with him or something.  
  
The girl's dorm swirled out of view and was replaced with words.  
  
"Of course it's the truth."  
  
"But that can't be!" Harry replied a bit louder than he'd intended. "Please show me what really happened!"  
  
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but what you've seen is what happened."  
  
Harry stared at the map, completely speechless. There was no way he could believe what he'd seen was the truth, but it seemed it had to be. Feeling frustrated and confused, he lifted his wand, aiming at the map.  
  
"Mischief managed."  
  
The parchment went blank and Harry stood up immediately. Moving quickly, he raced back up to his dorm and ran in, only to come to an instant halt. It was still too early, no one was awake yet.  
  
Tip-toeing across the room, he glanced at his watch to see it was only half past four in the morning. Feeling restless and uneasy, he sat down on his bed in a huff. How could he explain what he'd just been shown? The thought of talking to his friends was making him a bit queasy now.  
  
He hoped very much that the map had been lying, though didn't know how he could find out.  
  
Standing up abruptly, he decided to find Sirius, to ask him to make the map tell the truth. But after taking only two steps, he suddenly remembered, his godfather wasn't in the school.  
  
"Of all nights why did he have to be gone tonight?" Harry asked himself, harshly, now beginning to pace. He'd made up his mind to say nothing to his friends until he was certain of what he had seen, but was bursting to talk to someone about it.  
  
"Remus," he said, stopping in his tracks and looking up. "That's it, I'll ask Remus." Running to his closet, he quickly threw on a shirt and a pair of pants, before grabbing both the map and his wand, and racing back downstairs.  
  
He left the common room and walked quickly through the halls. Remus would know what to do; he could make it show the truth. And if he couldn't, he would at least be able to figure out if it was the truth.  
  
In minutes, Harry was at the door to Remus' quarters. Hesitating just a moment, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.  
  
At first, there was no answer, and he knocked harder. Again he heard no response, so he lifted his hand for the third time, when someone spoke from the other side of the door.  
  
"Coming, hold on." a groggy voice said. Harry listened as Remus shuffled around sleepily. A light glow shown through the crack under the door, and less than a minute later, it swung slowly open.  
  
Remus stood there in pajamas and a robe, squinting into the dark hall.  
  
"Harry?" he asked, sounding uncertain.  
  
"Yes, it's me," Harry replied, anxiously. "I need to talk to you.it's important."  
  
Remus' brow furrowed in concern and he opened the door wider, stepping to the side.  
  
"Come in, please," he said. "What's happened? Is something wrong? Are you hurt?"  
  
"No, no one's hurt." Harry replied as Remus shut the door. He looked from the map to Remus and back again, before sighing.  
  
"I think." he began. "I think Hermione cursed the Firebolt."  
  
"What?" Remus asked in shock, looking much more awake. "Why do you think that?"  
  
"The map," Harry replied, holding up the parchment. "I was able to make it show me what happened the night before the match, and what I saw was Hermione sneaking into the room when everyone was asleep. She went to Ginny's part of the room for a minute, then left." He stopped and looked into Remus' eyes. "Please tell me the map can lie about these things. It just can't be true."  
  
Remus shook his head slowly.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Harry. What you saw is what happened. There's a great many things the map may keep from you, but what it does show is always accurate."  
  
Harry felt his throat tighten as he heard this.  
  
"No," he said quietly, shaking his head. "No she'd never do that. Never."  
  
"I agree," Remus said, firmly. "She had no reason to and even if she did, that's just not Hermione."  
  
Harry looked up suddenly.  
  
"That's it! It's like with Percy.and then with Cho's parents. Hermione was being controlled. That's got to be!"  
  
"My thoughts as well, but the question is, by who?" Remus asked.  
  
"I.I don't know.the shapeshifters maybe?" Harry asked.  
  
"That doesn't make sense though. Hermione doesn't know how to perform the curse that was used and they certainly couldn't show her. The magic they possess is."  
  
"I know, I know," Harry cut him off. "They're just too weak when it comes to that."  
  
The two of them sat for a moment, each deep in their own thoughts.  
  
"Harry, can I see the map for a second?" Remus asked suddenly.  
  
Harry held out the parchment without a word and followed Remus over to the table nearby. They stood over it as Remus activated the map and the school grounds were laid out in front of them. He pointed his wand again, saying words Harry didn't recognize.  
  
"Exhibeo Vetustas."  
  
"What does that.?" Harry began, but stopped as the school disappeared from the map and words formed, asking for a date, time and location.  
  
"When did all this happen Harry?" Remus asked looking at him.  
  
"The night before the quidditch match, in the sixth year girl's dorm." he said. Instead of giving him the time he started with earlier, he pushed it back about two hours, not wanting to have to wait through all that again.  
  
Once Remus repeated the information, the map did exactly as it had done for Harry, closing in on the girl's dorm and showing him only those students in there.  
  
It was only a few minutes before Hermione's name suddenly appeared, and Harry watched, again, as she went to Ginny's area of the room, paused for a few seconds, and left.  
  
"See?" Harry asked when there was no further movement. "It was Hermione, though she couldn't have known what she was doing."  
  
"Actually Harry," Remus spoke up. "Hermione didn't curse the broom at all."  
  
"She didn't?" Harry asked, feeling relief flood through him. "Then who.?"  
  
He stopped as Remus again pointed his wand at the map.  
  
"Adaperio."  
  
The full school was once again shown in front of them, but still allowing them to see the past. Remus searched the map intently for a moment, before pointing at a specific spot.  
  
"There she is," he murmured. Harry leaned over to see Hermione was out of the Gryffindor tower and walking through the hallways.  
  
"What is she doing?" he asked.  
  
"My guess," Remus began. "Taking your Firebolt to whoever actually did curse the broom"  
  
The two of them watched, not even daring to blink, as Hermione made her way through the school. She nearly ran into Filch at one point and Professor McGonagall at another, but both times she managed to get out of sight just in time. It was as if someone was guiding her, someone who knew exactly where she had to be to remain unseen.  
  
On and on she went, down several floors, until she reached the dungeon area of the school. She only stopped when she came to Snape's office, and went inside. It was there that Harry noticed a new name, one he was sure by the sharp intake of breath Remus took, he'd noticed as well.  
  
Saaneeraa.  
  
Remus and Harry exchanged horrified glances as they watched Hermione move across the room, and right next to Saaneeraa. The two of them stood a few moments and Harry wished desperately that there was a way to hear what had been said. Hermione at one point stepped away from Saaneeraa, and again stopped moving.  
  
"That's when it must've been cursed," Remus muttered. "Hermione waited while Saaneeraa had the broom."  
  
He stopped talking as Hermione moved back to Saaneeraa for just a second, before turning and leaving the office. She made her way back to the Gryffindor tower unnoticed, put the broom back in Ginny's room, and headed up to her own dorm.  
  
When they were sure Hermione was in her bed and asleep, Remus pulled out his wand.  
  
"Mischief managed," he said, almost sounding disgusted. He handed the now blank parchment back to Harry, before crossing the room and plopping onto the sofa.  
  
"So she's here then," Harry said quietly, making his way to the sofa and sitting on the opposite end of it. "Saaneeraa, she's at Hogwart's, or at least she was."  
  
"Yes, she was," Remus replied, his voice unreadable.  
  
Harry looked at him, not knowing what to say. He could tell without a doubt Remus was very worried. It was the most fear he'd ever seen the kind professor show.  
  
"Can I ask," he began hesitantly. "How did you know it wasn't Hermione who cursed the broom?"  
  
Remus lifted his gaze, slowly.  
  
"Like I said before, I know there's no way she could've learned the curse on her own. She has no access to any of the books in this school that would show her, and no one would show her. But when we looked at the map, Hermione was only in the room for a matter of seconds. Now while the curse doesn't take long to perform, you certainly can't do it in that amount of time."  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Well I'm glad you knew that, I'd never have figured it out." he trailed off as Remus seemed to be far off again.  
  
"What do we do now?" Harry asked, bringing Remus back into focus again.  
  
"We are doing nothing," he answered, standing up. "I'm going to make sure you get to your tower alright, then I'm going to speak with Dumbledore."  
  
Harry didn't argue. He was very relieved to know it hadn't really been Hermione to curse the broom, but at the same time, he couldn't help but be afraid, knowing that Saaneeraa had gotten into the school. Making sure he had the map and his wand, the two of them set off for the tower.  
  
When he entered the dorm again, he was surprised to see everyone up and getting ready. He'd gone the entire night without sleep, and now it was time to go down to breakfast. Shaking his head and thinking it was gonna be a long day, he went to his closet to grab a set of robes.  
  
"Where were you so early?" Ron asked as Harry passed his bed. For a moment, Harry didn't respond, he was too busy watching the unreadable stare Neville was giving him to pay attention.  
  
"Hello, Harry!" Ron called. "You there?"  
  
"I'll tell you at breakfast," Harry muttered, not taking his eyes off Neville who was now finished dressing and on his way out of the room.  
  
Ron gave him a questioning look, and shrugged.  
  
When they got to the great hall, Harry made sure Neville was not nearby before he sat.  
  
"You look as if you didn't sleep at all!" Hermione said, concerned.  
  
"That's probably because I didn't," Harry replied, picking up a strip of bacon.  
  
"Worried about Sirius?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry's expression suddenly became one of dismay; he brought up his arms, resting his head against his hands on the table.  
  
"I can't believe I forgot him." he mumbled.  
  
"Forgot him?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed. "What happened last night that could possibly have caused you to do that?"  
  
Harry lifted his gaze to meet hers.  
  
"I know who cursed the broom," he said evenly.  
  
"That's great!" Ginny said, smiling. "Now we can tell Dumbledore, he'll."  
  
"Hold on Ginny, it's not that simple," Harry cut her off. "And I think Dumbledore knows by now anyway."  
  
"Well out with it then!" Ron said, exasperatedly. "Tell us what you know."  
  
"Okay, but you have to just listen to the whole story before saying anything. Promise?"  
  
The other three nodded, and Harry began explaining, as quickly as possible, what had happened while they slept. When he finally said he'd seen Hermione enter the room he heard all three of them gasp in shock.  
  
"But I didn't." Hermione began, trailing off as Harry gave her a pointed look. He rushed on, telling what had happened when he finally decided to go and see Remus. When he finished, they all looked as scared as he felt.  
  
"I.I don't remember any of that," Hermione spoke, barely above a whisper.  
  
"Because she was controlling you," Ron said angrily.  
  
"But why me?" Hermione asked. "And why did she want the Firebolt? And what are we going to do about this?"  
  
"I don't know.to all three," Harry said, glumly. "I guess if Dumbledore comes up with anything he'll let us know."  
  
"Wait a second.Hermione," Ron began. "That was the night you were so late in coming back from your chat with Marzia, right?"  
  
Hermione thought for a moment, before nodding.  
  
"Well don't you think that seems a bit suspicious?" he asked.  
  
"Maybe it would," Harry spoke up, "if we knew what you do about her. Don't you think it's time you told us?"  
  
Ron looked down at his hands, fidgeting nervously.  
  
"If it's so bad that you get uneasy just by the mention of her name then don't you think you should tell us?" Harry asked. "You go white as a sheet when you know she's around."  
  
"No I don't!" Ron said, defensively, looking up at his friend. Harry gave him a pointed look and Ron sighed. "Well not every time, anyway."  
  
"But a good majority of the time," Hermione said.  
  
"Come on Ron, out with it," Harry continued. "The map showed Hermione meeting with Saaneeraa. What made you bring up her talk with Marzia when that happened hours earlier?"  
  
Ron looked over to Ginny, who was looking back at him intently. She shrugged apologetically and Ron sighed.  
  
"Okay, okay," he said, giving in. "Just promise me you'll do the same thing we did for you. Listen to all that I have to say before you start arguing with me."  
  
"Arguing? Why would I.?" Harry trailed off. "I promise," he nodded. "Just please tell us before any more time goes by."  
  
Ron took a deep breath, nodding.  
  
"Alright. Here goes. You know how Marzia helped out with Sirius' trial over the summer, right?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, she was able to get most of the ministry to side against Thurston," Harry said.  
  
"Right," Ron said, "but don't you wonder how? I know for a fact just by hearing my dad talk about it that Sirius was as good as on the next train to Azkaban until Marzia suddenly showed up. She came back from an assignment that my dad really couldn't ever remember hearing about, just in time for the trial. Almost every minister in the place sided with her.after being dead set against it."  
  
He paused, studying his friends' faces carefully, before continuing.  
  
"Percy, for a long time, seemed very unsure about things last year. I know work became very hard for him after the whole incident with Fudge, but he was never as rude or obnoxious as he was after she showed up. Suddenly he hated you, Harry, and treated all of us as if we were his enemies. When Marzia would come by the house, his behavior would only worsen."  
  
"Whenever my dad would try to talk to her about anything other than the trial, she would change the subject completely, basically ignoring his questions, and he wouldn't even notice."  
  
Ron stopped, looking back and forth between Harry and Hermione, anxiously.  
  
"Don't you see?" he asked, loudly, bringing his hand down hard on the table. "It's too much to just be a coincidence. Things happen when she's around; people don't act the way they normally would. The ministry doesn't seem to care much for Sirius anymore, but while she was there during the trial, they voted to have him freed. Percy was horribly confused and upset by everything last year, all of a sudden he's decided you're the cause of his problems. At least we know for a fact he was being controlled now. Then my dad tried to find out information about her, only to forget he even asked anything at all!"  
  
Harry and Hermione stayed silent, waiting.  
  
"Now," he continued in a lower voice, "the night before our quidditch match, Ginny's broom was cursed and we find out that it's by someone who can control the mind of whomever she chooses. All this just a few hours after speaking with Marzia."  
  
He stopped speaking and looked over at Ginny, before again becoming very interested with his hands.  
  
"If," Harry began evenly, clearing his throat. "If she's not to be trusted, as you seem to think, why would she free Sirius?"  
  
"And," Hermione spoke up. "If she did somehow use magic to make the ministry free him, why then would she turn Percy against everyone? That just doesn't make sense. First use magic to help us and then for the complete opposite."  
  
"Also, I still don't see how Hermione talking with her that night has anything to do with what happened later on," Harry added.  
  
Ron shook his head.  
  
"I knew there was no point in telling you, you don't understand."  
  
"Well make us understand," Hermione said. "What exactly are you trying to say here? That Marzia is working with Saaneeraa?"  
  
"She would never!" Harry said, defensively. "She helped free Sirius, saved us all from the Dementors, and guards the school every night. Besides, Sirius has known her for years." he trailed off, his expression softening. "She's going to be his wife."  
  
"I don't know what I think yet," Ron spoke up, a grim expression set on his face. "But too many strange things are going on, and many of them center around Marzia. Now I'm not saying she's working with anyone.but I do think we can't just let this go."  
  
"So we'll keep our eyes open," Hermione said. "But I think we'll need a bit more to go on then the ministry freeing Sirius and Percy getting angry."  
  
"You weren't there," Ron said, trying unsuccessfully to hide the anger in his voice. "You didn't see how sudden it all was."  
  
"Well if you were there," Hermione began. "Why would she let you remember all this? Especially if she didn't seem to want anyone else to know."  
  
Harry looked at Ron intently, but his friend merely averted his gaze, and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
An awkward silence fell over the four friends, the muted sounds of the other students playing all around them. Harry, at first, had been dead set against what Ron was suggesting about Marzia, but now the small whispers of doubt were starting to creep in. What if there really was some connection between her and Saaneeraa? How could they possibly find out if there was?  
  
He was stirred from his thoughts as Ginny cleared her throat.  
  
"We're going to be late," she mumbled, gesturing around. The rest of the hall was mostly empty, everyone on their way to class. Still not speaking about what they'd just discussed, the four of them stood; leaving the room, they headed down the hall together.  
  
Just as Harry had expected, the day dragged on slowly. His eyelids felt like led throughout the morning and all he could think about was his soft, warm, comfortable bed. By the time lunch came around, he was too tired to stay awake.  
  
"I think I'm going to try for a nap," he said sleepily to his friends as they left the class and headed for their tower.  
  
"Aren't you hungry?" Ron asked.  
  
"Not so much as I am tired," Harry replied. "Wake me when you come back for your books?"  
  
"I'll try," Ron said, smirking. "But it might be hard, judging by how you're walking."  
  
"Huh?" Harry replied, puzzled.  
  
"You couldn't walk a straight line if you tried," Hermione said, matter-of-factly.  
  
Harry glanced down, chuckling to himself.  
  
"Well at least I'm." he began, stopping abruptly as another voice cut him off.  
  
"Harry!" Sirius called out from just up the hall. They were near the portrait of the fat lady and Sirius was standing in front of it, waiting for his godson to return. Suddenly, Harry didn't feel like sleeping in the least.  
  
"Sirius!" he yelled, quickening his pace. The two men reached each other, embracing briefly. "I'm so glad you're alright," Harry said as they separated.  
  
"I told you I would be," Sirius said, giving him an affectionate punch on the arm.  
  
"Did you find out anything?" Hermione spoke up, eagerly. "Was Thurston there?"  
  
Sirius glanced around quickly at the passing students all within earshot.  
  
"We'll talk about that later," he said quietly. "But to answer your question, no we didn't see him."  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"Remus and Dumbledore told me what happened last night," Sirius said, looking back to Harry.  
  
"Did they say what we're going to do about it? Saaneeraa can probably get in here whenever she wants."  
  
"Right now, there's little we can do. Until she shows herself and lets us know it's her.we don't even know what she looks like."  
  
"But," Harry began, "Professor Gazten.she explained."  
  
"She explained what the rest of them looked like, but not Saaneeraa. Strange, don't you think?" Sirius asked, pointedly. Harry could see the distrust his godfather held for Gazten was still just as strong as ever.  
  
"Maybe there's a reason though," Ron spoke up, hesitantly. "We can ask her next time we see her."  
  
Sirius made no response to this, just nodded noncommittally, before turning again to Harry.  
  
"There's a few things I need to take care of for the time being," Sirius said, grinning again. "And you're all probably very hungry by now. Sorry to hold you up."  
  
They said goodbye and watched for a moment as Sirius made his way back up the hall, before turning and entering the common room.  
  
The weeks passed by in a blur for Harry, but no solution had presented itself for any of the problems they were facing. He'd had a very short discussion with Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus at one point, about Saaneeraa and the late night visit to the ministry. No one seemed to be giving out the information, so finally he went and asked them.  
  
"We are taking measures to prevent anyone else entering the school unnoticed," Dumbledore had told him. "It will probably be shortly after the winter holidays that everything will be in place. Until then we will increase our patrolling of the school."  
  
Harry had thought that no matter how many people were on the lookout it wouldn't matter if Saaneeraa was spotted, she could control whoever she wanted and there was really no way to stop that from happening.that he knew of. But he kept this thought to himself.  
  
As for Sirius's visit, it seemed the ministry building in the center of wizarding London had been deserted. Not only were there no people, but no desks, chairs, files.anything. He and Marzia had spent the whole night searching for clues as to why, but came up empty. And now it was more than evident that the ministry was hiding something.  
  
"Why wouldn't Mr. Weasley at least tell us something about this though?" Harry asked.  
  
The three men exchanged nervous glances, before Dumbledore spoke, gravely.  
  
"Arthur Weasley did tell us, in a way. He has been keeping a close watch on things for me ever since everything that happened with Miss Chang. Thurston became suspicious of him, had him followed, and watched carefully. No matter where he went, there was always someone right behind him. Finally, he had no choice but to notify us of what was happening. He could find nothing out, they were too careful around him. That is when we decided to send Sirius and Marzia.and unfortunately.it was too late."  
  
"Is he alright though?" Harry asked, anxiously.  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Yes, thankfully. He had taken a few days for himself and this happened during that time. He and Molly are safe at the Burrow."  
  
"There must be others, like Arthur," Remus spoke up. "He can't possibly be the only one who wasn't involved in whatever it is the ministry is up to. Think of all the people that sided with him for Sirius' trial.where are all those people now?"  
  
Harry felt the lingering twinges of doubt about Marzia begin creeping in on him again. The more he thought about it, Ron had a point. 'Could everything he told them possibly be one long string of coincidences? Highly unlikely.' He opened his mouth to say something when another voice popped up in his head. 'But at the same time, if she did have some way to control people, or was working with Saaneeraa, why would she let Ron remember, but no one else?' Closing his mouth, he decided to wait. He was almost ninety-nine percent sure Marzia could be trusted and until that number changed drastically, there was no reason to get Sirius mad at him for accusing her.  
  
"We will have to try and find them, the more we can get to side with us, the better," Sirius said.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore began, "Don't worry yourself about all of this. All I want you to concern yourself with besides your schoolwork, is making sure you follow the few rules we have set. I know you're a not a child anymore, but please try not to go anywhere alone right now, or if you must, stay out of areas that you're uncertain of."  
  
"I always do," Harry said, shrugging. He thanked them quietly, before leaving the office. Was the ministry really up to something? Or did they leave for some other reason? What was Dumbledore's plan for protecting the school after the holidays? Why did they have to wait until then to implement it? Questions filled Harry's head and he wanted nothing more than to be rid of them. There were too many things to worry about.and too many things they still didn't know.  
  
The winter holidays arrived at last! The last day of classes had been fun, and though the yearly trip to Hogsmeade was sorely missed, they made the most of it. Keeping with all good traditions, they were sure to pay as little attention as possible in all of their classes. The halls were decorated as beautifully as ever, and the scent of pine was everywhere you went, filling the air.  
  
"Finally," Ron said happily as they stepped into their common room on the way back from the last class of the day. "Two whole weeks and no school work. Heaven, I tell you."  
  
Hermione gave Ron a disgusted look as she passed him, and stalked off to the corner of the room.  
  
"What's up with her?" Harry asked, looking questioningly at Ron.  
  
"Oh.nothing," Ron said innocently, before his face broke out in a wicked grin.  
  
"What did you do?" Harry almost groaned.  
  
"To her? I didn't do a thing, I swear," Ron said earnestly. "However.no one's asked her to the Yule Ball as of yet.and it's tomorrow night."  
  
Harry couldn't help but laugh at Ron's expression as he said that.  
  
"How, I'm afraid to ask, did you manage that?" Harry asked, already cringing before he even heard the answer.  
  
"Well, you see, Fred and George were kind enough to send me some of their newest.surprises.when they found out I wouldn't be able to get to Hogsmeade and re-stock. So naturally when I overheard Trevor Mills saying he was going to ask Hermione to the ball, I was inclined to try one out."  
  
"And?" Harry asked, smiling. "What did you do to him?"  
  
"Well, did you ever notice how he seems to have a thing for those Finger Nuts they sell in Diagon Alley? Remember? They're peanuts in the shape of fingers.filled with jelly and."  
  
"I remember, and?" Harry prompted, waving his hand impatiently.  
  
"Well he has them all the time, I swear he eats them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Anyway, he had a bag of them yesterday evening, chomping away at them, and I got Seamus to distract him. He left his bag on the table he was near, and I sprinkled a little of this in it," Ron said, proudly, holding up a jar of green powder.  
  
"What does that do?" Harry asked, looking warily at the jar.  
  
"It turns your hair green, your nose too, instantaneously, but only if you eat it. Fred and George sell it in every color.but I only got his one. Hey, you know.it might look good with your eyes."  
  
"Don't get any ideas," Harry said warningly. "So, tell me the rest then. What happened next?"  
  
"I gave Seamus the signal and he 'suddenly' had something else to do, leaving Trevor to go back to his snack. He started eating, and just in time. Hermione walked in, and went back to our corner. Trevor didn't want to waste any more time it seemed, because he was up at once and following her." Ron trailed off, no longer able to hold in his laughter.  
  
"What, what?" Harry said, smiling. "You can't stop there!"  
  
"He.he." Ron began, gasping for air he was laughing so hard. "He went over just as she was setting her books down on the table, and when he was standing right behind her, he said her name.very quietly," he whispered, as if to demonstrate. Harry was doubled over just looking at his friend. "She turned around.and I swear Harry it was the funniest thing ever.her face.it.she." he paused, laughing harder still. "She screamed.right in his face! She was scared by him, terrified even, his green nose and hair.right up in her face.oh man you should have seen it! It was priceless.he of course didn't ask her, then; and she didn't say anything else; she was so embarrassed at having screamed. So Trevor, having no idea what had caused her to scream, turned around, sat down back in his chair and kept on eating." Ron trailed off, once again in a fit of laughter.  
  
Harry shook his head in wonderment.  
  
"You know it would have been so much easier if you'd have just asked her in the first place. I can't even believe she's still going with you." he smiled.  
  
"Well it's either that or go alone," Ron said smugly. "Because no one's dared to ask her now. Trevor's nose is back to normal but he still has green streaks in his hair."  
  
"Oh you're terrible," Harry laughed. "Picking on poor, innocent sixth years."  
  
"Hey, he was gonna ask out my girlfriend. I'm just glad I heard him."  
  
Harry sighed, contentedly.  
  
"How did I miss all of this?"  
  
"Sorry," Ron said with a shrug. "I couldn't wait for you and Cho to get back from your walk. Had to act while I had the time." He looked up and grinned at Hermione, who was glaring at them. He waved pleasantly and she shook her head in disgust, grabbing a book off the table in front of her, she began flipping pages, furiously.  
  
"Are you sure she's still going with you?" Harry asked, uncertainly.  
  
"Well who else is she gonna go with?" Ron asked as if it were obvious. He started off towards their corner and sat down next to Hermione, who refused to acknowledge his presence. Harry shook his head, thinking Ron was in for a rude awakening whenever Hermione decided to drop the bomb, but he wasn't going to get in the middle of it. He spotted Cho and Ginny off in another part of the room, playing a game of exploding snap, and wandered over to join them. 


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, Harry woke up before anyone else in his dorm. He almost didn't remember it was Christmas day, as his dorm mates were all still in their beds and usually it was just him and Ron right now. But after putting on his glasses and seeing the stack of presents at the end of his bed, a large smile spread across his face. He swung his legs over the side and stood, just as Ron began to stir.  
  
"Happy Christmas," Harry whispered as Ron pulled the curtains back from around his bed.  
  
"Happy Christmas Harry," he replied with a grin. His eyes fell hungrily on the presents and Harry laughed out loud.  
  
"You never change, do you?" he asked.  
  
"What's so wrong about wanting presents?" Ron asked defensively, as he got out of the bed. He scooted quickly to his pile and began sifting through them.  
  
"Nothing," Harry replied with a grin, "nothing at all."  
  
He went to his own pile and began to pile the parcels on top of each other.  
  
"C'mon," he said over his shoulder to Ron. "We're meeting the girls downstairs, remember? They can't come in here this year because everyone's still here."  
  
"Oh yeah," Ron said, taking his hand away from the package he'd been about to rip open. He piled his up the same as Harry's and together they went down the stairs. Hermione, Ginny and Cho were already there in front of the fire, waiting for them.  
  
"About time!" Ginny called out when they appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Happy Christmas to you too," Harry said sardonically, but smiled at her.  
  
Good morning," Cho said as he sat down on the floor beside her. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Very," Harry replied, smiling at her. "You?"  
  
"I'm still tired," she said in a soft voice, laying her head on his shoulder. He kissed her hair gently, feeling her warmth against him. Glancing across at his friends, he saw Ron and Hermione were not getting on quite as well. Ron had tried to give Hermione his present and she wouldn't even touch it.  
  
"I don't want it," she said stiffly. "I'm not even speaking to you right now."  
  
"You just spoke to me then!" Ron pointed out angrily. Harry looked down at Cho who was rolling her eyes at Ron's comment.  
  
"Fine, I will speak to you," Hermione said suddenly, spinning to face Ron. "What you did the other night was mean and uncalled for. You embarrassed Trevor, who certainly didn't deserve that, and now I'm not going to the ball with anyone. I probably won't go at all! So thank you very much and I hope you have a lovely Christmas." She glared at him fiercely before standing up and walking to the opposite side of the room, where she plopped angrily into a chair.  
  
Ron's face was redder than his hair, and he looked pleadingly at Harry.  
  
"I can't help you with this one Ron," Harry said with an apologetic shrug.  
  
"Apologize to her," Cho said evenly. "If you really care for her that's what you'll do. You just need to swallow your pride and go for it."  
  
Ron set his jaw stubbornly, showing exactly what he thought of that idea, when Ginny spoke up.  
  
"You really should Ron, I've never seen her so mad at you before." She looked from her brother to Hermione and back, before nodding in Hermione's direction, trying to prompt him to move.  
  
"Looks like you're both going stag then," Harry commented, with a pointed look at his friend.  
  
Ron finally huffed loudly, standing up.  
  
"Fine, fine." he muttered as he trudged across the room towards Hermione.  
  
"Are all your Christmas' together this pleasant?" Cho asked as they watched Ron go.  
  
"Nope, just this one," Harry half-laughed. They quieted down when Ron began to talk.  
  
"Hermione," he began. "Look what I did the other day.it was just a joke." he trailed off, shrugging.  
  
"Well it wasn't very funny," she said curtly, refusing to look at him.  
  
"I didn't hurt anyone." Ron pressed on, sounding frustrated.  
  
"Yes you did," Hermione said fiercely. "You hurt Trevor the same way Malfoy hurts people. He embarrasses and ridicules people for his own petty reasons. I didn't believe you'd ever stoop so low."  
  
"Malfoy and I are nothing alike!" Ron said vehemently, raising his voice. "I can't believe you'd ever compare me to that slimy git!"  
  
"Don't try to turn this on me!" she yelled back. "I'm not the one acting like a git! You're being enough of one for both of us!"  
  
"Guys, guys!" Harry called from his seat on the floor. "Could we try not to bring the whole house down here, maybe? Unless you'd like an even bigger audience."  
  
"I'm finished anyway," Hermione said, standing up. She pushed past Ron and sat down between Ginny and Harry. Ron stood where he was, a look of shock on his face. Slowly, he made his way back to them, but instead of moving past to his seat, he knelt down behind Hermione and leaned forward.  
  
"I think I started off wrong back there," he whispered. "What I meant to say was, I'm sorry."  
  
"You're only saying that because you know it's what I want to hear," Hermione said, evenly, but the look in her eyes was softer.  
  
Ron leaned closer still.  
  
"No, I'm saying it because I mean it. I'm sorry because I didn't know how much what I did hurt you. In my defense, I only did it so I could go to the ball with you."  
  
"Well why haven't you even asked me then?" Hermione said throwing her hands in the air and sighing. She bit her lower lip, almost ready to cry.  
  
"Hey," he said, putting his arm around her. She looked for a moment as if she might pull away, but instead rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Hermione, I really didn't mean to upset you this much, really, I mean it. I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. Reaching down, he cupped her chin in his hand and brought her face up to his. "Forgive me?" he asked, sheepishly.  
  
She looked at him, obviously wanting to say yes, but remained silent, waiting.  
  
Ron looked at her, almost desperate now, when suddenly he began to laugh. Harry, Cho and Ginny were leaning forward where they sat, anxiously.  
  
"I see how it goes," Ron said as his laughter died down. Clearing his throat, he raised Hermione's hand in front of him. "Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Yule Ball this evening, my lady?"  
  
Hermione's face broke out into a huge smile and she threw her arms around Ron's neck.  
  
"Yes," she said, nodding happily. "Yes I'd love to go with you."  
  
Harry, Cho and Ginny smiled, as Ron brought Hermione's face to his and they kissed.  
  
"Awwww!" Ginny squealed, waving her hands in front of her. "You two are just so cute." she said dramatically. Everyone laughed, but not just at Ginny. The tension in the air was gone and the fighting was over. Harry heaved a sigh of relief as he exchanged a glance with Cho. The one thing they did not need right now, was fighting amongst themselves.  
  
"Okay," Harry said clearing his throat. "How about we get to the presents before everyone else really does get down here?"  
  
They started by exchanging gifts with each other first; Harry got the normal presents from his friends, candy, books, photos, and sweaters, but loved each and every one of them. He had gotten a very delicate gold locket for Cho, and adored the look in her eyes when they widened in shock.  
  
"I.I love it." she whispered as he leaned over to kiss her.  
  
"Happy Christmas," he said just before their lips brushed.  
  
"Well?" Ron said, looking at Ginny. "Where's their 'awww?'"  
  
"Shut up Ron," Ginny laughed, swatting her older brother before going back to her presents.  
  
"Who's that one from Harry?" Hermione asked pointing to the last gift in his pile.  
  
He lifted the small box wrapped ever so neatly in red paper.  
  
"I don't know.there's no card." he said, turning it carefully in his hands.  
  
"Probably from Dumbledore," Ron said, leaning forward. "C'mon then! Let's have a look!"  
  
Harry shrugged, placing the box on the floor, before beginning to tear the paper away.  
  
As the last of the red paper was torn away, Harry saw the box underneath was dark green. Glancing around at his friends, he slowly pulled the top off, placing it on the floor beside him.  
  
"What is it?" Ron asked, leaning even further forward.  
  
"Hang on," Harry said, absentmindedly as he sifted through the wad of tissue paper. His brow furrowed in confusion as he looked back up at his friends.  
  
"It's a bottle," he said, uncertainly.  
  
"A bottle of what?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry reached into the box and bulled out a short round bottle that had a very thin neck. It was cerulean blue and sparkled where the light hit it.  
  
"Nothing," he said, examining it carefully. He shook it gently, before popping out the cork and peering inside. "It's empty."  
  
"Who would send you an empty bottle?" Ginny asked.  
  
Harry shrugged, still searching for anything on the bottle, though he didn't know what he was even looking for.  
  
"Well it's very lovely," Cho remarked.  
  
"A very lovely dust collector," Ron said. "I bet it's from the Dursley's."  
  
"No," Harry said, shaking his head and looking up. "They'd never send anything this nice.and they certainly wouldn't have bothered to wrap it."  
  
"Nice?" Ron asked, skeptically. He threw a look at Hermione that said how crazy he thought that statement was, and she just rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"Just because you don't like it." she began, playfully.  
  
"Well what is it good for?" he asked, gesturing towards the bottle. "It's such an odd shape, you can't exactly use to drink out of, you'd never fit any flowers through that thin neck, not that any guy would want a vase anyway, and it doesn't appear to actually do anything. So it's completely and totally useless."  
  
"It's a decoration," Ginny said defensively.  
  
"Yeah but why?" Harry asked. "I wouldn't look at this and get it for another guy, and if it's really so useless then why did the person who sent it not leave a card? Do they not want me to know who they are? What for?"  
  
He looked around at his friends' blank faces and sighed.  
  
"I guess I'll just have to ask Dumbledore about it." he said, trailing off.  
  
"Well if he is the one who gave it to you at least he'll be able to explain what it does," Ginny pointed out.  
  
"I guess," Harry said, still feeling confused.  
  
"C'mon, let's get changed. We'll ask him at breakfast," Cho said, beginning to pile her presents on top of each other. The five of them brought all their things upstairs, just as the rest of the Gryffindors were on their way down. Changing quickly, they met back in the common room, before setting out together and heading for the great hall.  
  
As soon as they'd finished breakfast, Harry and the others made their way up to the teacher's table to speak with Dumbledore.  
  
"Happy Christmas," Dumbledore said cheerily as they reached him. "And how are all of you doing this morning?"  
  
"Happy Christmas Professor," Harry said with a smile. "I don't mean to be a bother to you, especially today. But I received something this morning.and I don't know who it's from or why they sent it."  
  
"What was it?" Dumbledore asked, looking serious.  
  
"Well," Harry began, feeling slightly embarrassed as it didn't seem like anything worth worrying about now. "This is going to sound silly.it's a bottle. An empty, blue bottle."  
  
"No note?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"Nothing. It came wrapped like any other present, but that was it. A blue bottle with a thin neck and a tiny cork."  
  
Sirius, who had been listening to the conversation from just next to Dumbledore, spoke up.  
  
"I'd like to have a look at this present, is it up in your room Harry?"  
  
"Yes, it's near my bed, I can show you."  
  
"I'll come too," Marzia said, from next to Sirius.  
  
"Er, okay." Harry said, uncertainly.  
  
"Sirius," Dumbledore spoke up. "If either you or Marzia don't recognize the bottle, if you are uncertain even in the least, I want it brought to me immediately."  
  
"Believe me," Sirius said, "That's exactly what we'd do." He stood up, pushing his chair away from the table, Marzia doing the same, and the small group made their way to the doors, leaving the great hall.  
  
"Why did she have to come?" Ron whispered to Harry as they walked through the halls, gesturing at Marzia.  
  
"Well, what if the bottle is from Faerun?" Harry suggested. "She'd recognize it before Sirius would. Probably even before Dumbledore would."  
  
"I'd rather it take longer than have her near it," Ron replied, looking warily at Marzia just a few feet in front of them.  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Harry asked. "I can't exactly ask her to leave."  
  
"Why not?" Ron asked.  
  
"Because she hasn't done anything! Not to me, at least, and I've never seen her act harshly towards you or any other student. I'm really sorry Ron but I just need a bit more.proof.that she's as bad as you think she is."  
  
Ron shook his head, his expression unreadable, but didn't argue. They'd made it to the portrait now, and Hermione had opened it for everyone.  
  
"Lead the way, Harry," Sirius said once they were all in the common room.  
  
Harry and Ron lead Sirius and Marzia to their dorm, while Hermione, Ginny and Cho waited downstairs for them.  
  
"Here," Harry said, pulling the green box out of the pile and opening it. He lifted the fragile bottle, holding it out towards his godfather. Together, Sirius and Marzia examined it carefully.  
  
"Well?" Sirius asked after a few moments, looking at Marzia, "What do you think?"  
  
"I think it's as harmless as can be. I don't recognize it, and honestly it looks more like something you'd see in a muggle home, as a decoration, maybe."  
  
"There you have it," Sirius said, handing the bottle back to his godson.  
  
"Um.that's it?" Harry asked, exchanging a confused glance with Ron. "You're not going to bring it to Dumbledore?"  
  
"What for?" Sirius replied with a shrug. "He said to bring it only if we think it's dangerous."  
  
"No he said if you're uncertain," Ron said, pointedly.  
  
"Well we're certain it isn't dangerous, so we don't need to bring it to him," Sirius said. "Was there anything else?"  
  
Harry felt his jaw drop and clamped it shut quickly.  
  
"Er.no. No that was.that was it." he managed to get out.  
  
"Great," Sirius said, smiling brightly. "Enjoy the rest of your Christmas, and I'll see you all at the dance tonight." He grinned broadly, taking Marzia's arm and leading her downstairs, leaving Harry and Ron to stare after them in shock.  
  
"Okay, what has gotten into him?" Ron asked, his eyes still wide with shock.  
  
"I don't know," Harry said quietly shaking his head. He looked at the bottle in his hands, trying to think.  
  
"Well you don't believe them do you?" Ron asked. "They couldn't possibly be able to tell in just."  
  
"I don't know what I believe," Harry interrupted. "But I know I don't want this anymore. Whatever it is." He looked over at Ron for just a second, before turning to his closet and pulling out his winter cloak. "C'mon," he said. "We're going outside."  
  
Ron didn't question him, simply grabbed his cloak as well and followed him downstairs. It took a moment to convince the girls to wait for them there, but finally got them to agree. Harry ran through the halls with the bottle held tightly against his chest, under his cloak, Ron right beside him. They reached the front doors quickly, and burst through them into the biting cold winter air.  
  
Harry's hair whipped in the wind and both their cheeks were as red as Ron's hair. They walked quickly, their legs numbing from the snow that was rubbing up against their pants, drenching them. Finally, they reached the edge of the forest, coming to an abrupt stop. Harry looked from Ron, to the bottle, to the forest, before bringing his arm back and throwing it with all his strength. They watched it for just a moment, before it was completely out of sight in the darkness.  
  
"Much better," Harry muttered, as he and Ron turned around. They began the trudge back up to the school, both feeling greatly relieved.  
  
"I still think you should have just brought it to Dumbledore," Hermione said for the umpteenth time later that evening. The five friends had been walking through the school, discussing anything and everything. The bottle, the defender, the entities, Marzia, Gazten, Sirius' behavior, and Neville, coming up with no real answers. They were on their way back to the tower, to prepare for the dance, and Hermione wouldn't stop admonishing Harry for his all too quick reaction.  
  
"I just wanted it gone," he said, exasperatedly. "Sorry you can't understand that." In truth, he had wanted to bring it to Dumbledore, but on the same note, he didn't want to have Sirius find out and feel insulted that his godson didn't trust him.  
  
Hermione shook her head, knowingly, but stayed silent. When they reached the tower, the girls immediately headed off to their dorms to get ready. Cho was going to help with hair and make-up, since she wasn't going to attend.  
  
The boys went to their corner to have a game of chess, knowing exactly how long it would take them to get ready as opposed to Hermione and Ginny. An hour later and another defeat for Harry, they decided to get changed.  
  
"Where are you meeting Mel?" Ron asked as they made their way up to their own dorm.  
  
"In front of the great hall, at half-past seven," Harry replied as they entered the room.  
  
"Cho's alright with you going with her?"  
  
"Well she hasn't said anything negative about her since that day," Harry shrugged.  
  
Ron simply nodded, noncommittally, as he headed to his closet. Both of them pulled out their black dress robes and began to change. Less than five minutes later, they were downstairs, waiting.  
  
"What could possibly be taking so long?" Ron asked, thoroughly bored after a half hour more had gone by. The common room was mulling with quite a few Gryffindors, and all of them were male.  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"What did you expect? Don't you remember last year? The year before? It's always this way."  
  
"I know but honestly, if they're." he began but stopped abruptly. Cho had just stepped into the common room, grinning at both of them.  
  
"Please tell me they're ready," Ron said, standing up.  
  
Harry laughed at Cho rolled her eyes at Ron.  
  
"You need to learn patience," she said, grinning. Pushing the door open behind her, Hermione and Ginny stepped out.  
  
"Wow," Ron whispered as the two girls neared them.  
  
"Hello to you too," Hermione said, stepping in front of Ron. Her hair was completely straightened and the top was parted in a criss-cross pattern, the raised pieces were twirled once and held in place with tiny clips that matched her hair so they wouldn't stand out. The dress robes she wore were soft pink and her makeup was a mixture of gentle earth tones.  
  
"You look.beautiful." he said quietly. Hermione's cheeks flushed as she looked away shyly.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Ahem," Ginny cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention.  
  
"Sorry," Ron said with a smile. "Didn't mean to exclude you."  
  
"Don't lie, brother dear," Ginny laughed. She stepped forward, twirling for effect, before stopping to face them. Her brilliant red hair was left down, with small sections on the sides pulled back loosely, leaving wispy tendrils down the sides of her face. Deep blue dress robes brought out the blue in her eyes beautifully, and her makeup was so soft it looked natural.  
  
Harry let out a low whistle.  
  
"You're a knock-out Gin, your date will be on his back when he sees you."  
  
Ginny blushed intensely at Harry's comment, and giggled nervously.  
  
"Hey," Ron spoke up, "you haven't told us who you're going with! C'mon then, I want to know who I'm gonna have to watch all night."  
  
"Ron, stop," Ginny said, trying to sound serious. "You're not that much older than I am."  
  
"But you're still my little sister," Ron replied. "And as your big brother.I have certain responsibilities to." he stopped abruptly as Hermione slapped her hand over his mouth. She looked at Ginny and winked.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll distract him for you."  
  
Ginny smiled, gratefully as Ron pulled Hermione's hand away.  
  
"Well I still want to know who," he said.  
  
"Calm down Ron," Ginny said. "I'm only going with Elliot Treiber."  
  
"Elliot who?" Ron asked.  
  
"A friend of mine. He's in Ravenclaw but we have Herbology and History of Magic together. You'll like him, don't worry."  
  
"Uh-huh," Ron murmured, "sure I will."  
  
"Come on 'older brother,'" Harry said with a laugh. "We better get going."  
  
"Have fun!" Cho said, grinning. She hugged Harry and they kissed quickly, before the four students headed for the door.  
  
They reached to doors to the great hall, where Elliot was standing, leaning against the wall next to them. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as Ginny neared him and his face broke out in a large grin.  
  
"Calm down," Hermione said as she felt Ron's grip tighten on her hand. "She's not a baby."  
  
"I know," Ron muttered, not taking his eyes off of Elliot. Ginny was blushing and giggling at what he was saying to her, pushing her hair back from her face every five seconds, nervously. After a moment Elliot offered his arm, which Ginny took, delicately, and the entered the great hall together.  
  
"You don't mind if we go on ahead, do you Harry?" Ron asked, looking after them.  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"Ron it's not as if she's never had a date before." he trailed off, shaking his head at his friend's expression. "Go, find a table, save us a seat," he smiled.  
  
He watched as Ron and Hermione disappeared through the doors and leaned up against the wall. Looking at his watch, he saw it was exactly half past seven; Mel should be there at any moment. He stood and watched as couples entered the room, saying hello to those he recognized, nodding to anyone that waved.  
  
The minutes ticked on and soon enough, it was ten to eight. He wasn't sure if he should be worried that something happened to her, or if perhaps she'd decided it'd be funny to stand him up. Just as he was about to head inside, maybe she'd gone in without him, he heard his name behind him.  
  
Spinning around, he saw Mel coming up the hall as fast as she could walk.  
  
"Sorry," she said breathlessly as she neared him, "I completely lost track of the time." she trailed off, looking up at him. "What?" she asked, blushing. "You're staring."  
  
"You.you look." he stuttered as she stifled a nervous laugh. Her shoulder length blonde hair was, for the most part left down, with tiny braids scattered here and there throughout it. Her pale green dress robes had a velvety feel to them, and her makeup was all earth tones.  
  
"I look?" she asked, playfully.  
  
Harry grinned, clearing his throat.  
  
"You're beautiful."  
  
She looked at him, a rosy blush filling her cheeks, but she didn't avert her eyes.  
  
"Thank you," she said softly. "You look very handsome yourself, and as always, I love your hair," she smiled, looking up at his unruly hair. He brought up a hand self-consciously and began trying to pat it down.  
  
"No don't," Mel said, grabbing his arm and smiling. "I think it's cute like that."  
  
"Well, you're certainly the first person that's said they love it," Harry laughed. "My aunt used to want it chopped off.once she even did chop it off, but it grew back the next morning." he trailed off, remembering back to when that had happened. Before he knew he was a wizard, before he knew about Voldemort.  
  
"Well I'm glad it did," Mel said, "how awful of her to do that."  
  
"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug. "That's my aunt and uncle though, anything to make me unhappy." he shook his head. "Sorry, what am I doing? We have a ball to go to," he said wiping the thoughts from his mind and looking at Mel. "Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm. She slipped hers through it easily.  
  
"Let's go," she said with a smile. Stepping forward, he led her to the doors, and into the great hall.  
  
The hall was decorated beautifully in silver and white. The walls were all mirrors that reflected everything back as far as you could see, and the enchanted ceiling was showing a crystal clear evening, with millions of stars.  
  
Harry spotted his friends immediately and led Mel through the groups of scattered students back to their table.  
  
"What took so long?" Ron asked as they sat down. "I was ready to come and look for you."  
  
"I was running late," Mel said, sheepishly. "Sorry, didn't mean to make you worry about him."  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"Worry about me? I'm not the one who was missing."  
  
Ginny, who had been across the room with Elliot getting drinks, came back to the table then, her date just behind her.  
  
"Oh, hello Mel," she said as Elliot pulled out her chair for her. "Glad you finally made it." She paused for a moment, as Elliot sat beside her, before turning to him, "Elliot, this is my friend Harry Potter, and that's Mel Tristen."  
  
"Well of course I recognize Harry," Elliot grinned. "Nice to meet you both."  
  
Harry nodded, wishing for once he could be introduced to someone who didn't recognize him, but didn't say anything. They looked at the menus for dinner, going over all the delicious items, trying to make a decision.  
  
"Hey," Mel whispered, leaning towards him. "How about we order for each other?"  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"You want me to pick your dinner for you?"  
  
"Only if I get to pick yours as well," she smiled.  
  
"There's nothing you can pick that I won't eat," he said with a grin. "Choose away."  
  
Looking carefully at the menu, she finally found one that she liked and held it over to Harry.  
  
"There you are, Mr. Potter. Your dinner for this evening."  
  
Harry looked at where she was pointing and his brow furrowed.  
  
"How do you even say that?" he asked, moving his face closer to the menu. "Fill-ett Mig-nawn?" he asked uncertainly.  
  
Mel tried to stifle her laughter as she corrected him.  
  
"It's pronounced Filay Minyon.Filet Mignon, got it?" she asked.  
  
"Got it," Harry nodded, hoping it wasn't something horrible. "Your turn," he said, beginning to search the menu again. "Alright, this one," he said at last, showing her the dinner.  
  
"Oooh, goodie," Mel said with a grin. "I love Italian."  
  
"So do I, which is why I picked it," Harry said, smiling. "If you really did give me something horrible I'll steal some of yours."  
  
"Hands off my lasagna, mate," Mel replied, playfully. "And trust me, you'll like yours."  
  
They took turns ordering their dinners, and Harry was pleasantly surprised to see his dinner wasn't something disturbing, but a very juicy steak. The dinner was quite pleasant, the six of them eating and chatting away. All in all, it was turning out to be a very nice evening.  
  
When dinner was over the dancing began. Harry watched as Ron and Hermione got up to dance, just as Elliot had asked Ginny.  
  
"A bit overprotective, isn't he?" Mel asked as she noticed Ron kept glancing at Elliot.  
  
Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes.  
  
"You can say that again. He was never like this with the other guys Ginny's gone to the dances with.but he knew all of them."  
  
"I see," Mel smiled.  
  
Harry glanced up at her, then back down at his hands again. He opened his mouth to ask her to dance, but stopped as he looked up at her. Sirius and Marzia were walking up to the table.  
  
"Hello Harry," Sirius said cheerfully. "Having fun?"  
  
"Hi Sirius," Harry replied tentatively. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"How am I feeling?" he asked confused. "Fine, why do you ask?"  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
"Just curious. Hello Marzia."  
  
"Happy Christmas Harry," she replied, sweetly. "You too, Mel."  
  
"Thank you," Mel said, grinning.  
  
"Well Harry I don't want to keep you from your ball. You kids have fun tonight, okay?"  
  
"We will," Harry replied, forcing a smile. He watched as the two adults walked back across the hall.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Marzia asked, looking from Harry to Sirius and back. "You seemed a bit.strained, with him."  
  
Harry looked at her, hesitating just a moment, before shaking his head.  
  
"No, everything's fine. Don't worry about it." He glanced around at the now very crowded dance floor and grinned.  
  
"Would you like to dance?" he asked, holding out a hand to her.  
  
She took it, smiling, and together they crossed to the middle of the room. Harry held Mel closely to him, she smelled so wonderful. Not that Cho didn't as well, but it wasn't the same. They moved together, swaying to the soft music, not paying much attention to what was going on around them. When Harry felt a soft tap on his shoulder, he looked up, expecting to see Ron.  
  
"Neville?" he asked, coming to a halt. Mel looked back and forth between them curiously.  
  
"Hello Harry, sorry to bother you," he said, looking apologetically from him to Mel. "But there's something I need to ask you."  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked, evenly.  
  
Neville hesitated a moment, considering what to say.  
  
"Well, I happened to notice your stack of presents earlier.one of them being a blue bottle. Do you remember it?" he asked.  
  
Harry tensed immediately, but kept his voice even as he answered.  
  
"Yes, what about it?"  
  
"I noticed it wasn't there this afternoon. I was just wondering.what did you do with it?"  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  
  
"Why do you want to know?" he asked.  
  
Neville looked away, appearing somewhat frustrated.  
  
"Look, can you just tell me? Please? I only want to know where it is. Did you give it to Dumbledore?"  
  
"Tell me what you know about it and then I'll tell you where it is," Harry replied.  
  
"I'm just.curious.that's all. It seemed like such a strange gift."  
  
"You're lying," Harry said flatly.  
  
"Okay fine, I really don't know what it is, I just need to know where it is," Neville said exasperatedly.  
  
"Did you send it?" Harry asked. "Or do you know who did?"  
  
"No, the first time I've ever seen it was this morning, right before you brought Sirius and Marzia to see it."  
  
"You were there?" Harry asked, surprised. "What, were you hiding?"  
  
"Well it didn't appear as if you wanted company at that moment, so yes I kept out of sight. I saw you and Ron leave with the bottle. Where did you take it?"  
  
"I got rid of it," Harry said with a shrug. "Now if you'll excuse me." he trailed off, turning back to Mel who was looking entirely confused. He whisked her away as far across the room as possible, before finally slowing down. As he once again pulled her closer to him, she spoke up.  
  
"So, should I even ask what that was all about?"  
  
Harry sighed.  
  
"Honestly, I don't think I could give you an answer, because I'm not completely sure myself."  
  
Mel looked up at him for a moment, staring into his eyes.  
  
"Alright," she said at last, nodding. "Consider it forgotten."  
  
"Thank you," he said, smiling as they continued to dance. Gradually he moved them back into the middle of the floor, wanting to see how his friends were doing, and finally catching sight of Ron's bright red hair.  
  
"You'll never believe what just happened," he said as they neared each other.  
  
"Hang on," Ron replied quickly, barely even giving Harry a second glance. Harry looked past to where Ron was staring, to see Elliot and Ginny dancing, very closely.  
  
Hermione sighed loudly.  
  
"I'm just loving this romantic evening, let me say. I'm so lucky to have a guy like you."  
  
"He's all over her!" Ron hissed, looking at from Hermione to his sister.  
  
"Ron, stop it already," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "It's no worse than anything you've done."  
  
"Oh now that's just not true," Ron began spinning around to face his friend.  
  
"Wait," Harry cut him off. "Before you go off on this little tangent, I need to tell you something."  
  
Talking as quietly as possible, he explained what had just happened with Neville.  
  
"Why would he want to know that?" Hermione asked. "Do you think Gazten has anything to do with this?"  
  
"I don't know," Harry said. "But it does seem likely, since Neville didn't seem to know what the bottle was. She probably asked him to do that."  
  
"But why?" Ron asked.  
  
"That's what we have to find out," Harry said. "Maybe she sent it. Or maybe she knows who did."  
  
"Oh good, that won't be hard at all. I'm sure she'll be all too willing to just tell us what she's up to," Ron said, sardonically.  
  
"I didn't say we'd ask her, but maybe we could." Harry was cut off as he felt Mel pull away from him roughly. Turning around, he saw Malfoy had grabbed her by the wrist and was trying to drag her across the room.  
  
"Stop it Draco!" she yelled, tugging at her arm. "Let go of me!"  
  
"No, we have a surprise for you, come see," Malfoy replied, gleefully.  
  
Harry lunged forward, he was able to get ahead as Mel was holding Draco back, and stepped in front of them, blocking the path.  
  
"Let her go Malfoy," he said, evenly.  
  
"Oh shove it, Potter," Malfoy spat. "Get out of the way. You shouldn't even be here with her."  
  
The students closest to them had stopped dancing, and were forming a loose circle around the three of them.  
  
"Whatever you need to show her, you can do it another time," Harry said in a low voice. Slowly, he reached his hand into his pocket, wrapping his fingers around his wand. The last thing he wanted was to fight, but knowing Malfoy, he was ready for anything.  
  
"You're right, I can," Malfoy hissed, looking around Harry at something behind him. Harry barely had time to turn around, as he felt something hit him forcefully in the back. The impact shoved him forward and he hit the floor hard on his knees. He heard Mel cry out, but for a moment, couldn't move or see. He knew the people closest to him had begun to crowd around as he could hear their chatter grow louder. His eyes began to burn and for a split-second he wondered if he was going to have another vision, but the pain only increased.  
  
"Harry, are you alright, what happened?" he heard Mel's voice close to him as she knelt down at his side.  
  
"I don't know," he said in a strained voice.  
  
Concentrating with every ounce of strength in him, he cleared his mind of everything, and focused only on the pain. The voices around him became muted, as he forced his breathing to become regular and tried to remain calm. Little by little, the pain went away, until it was entirely gone.  
  
Opening his eyes slowly, he found he still couldn't see. It was as if he'd never opened them at all. He barely had time to let this sink in, when the crowd around him suddenly became louder.  
  
"What did that slimy git do to you?" Ron's voice came from his left side, sounding concerned.  
  
"Harry what happened?" Remus' voice broke through the crowd. "Who did this?"  
  
"I can't." he began, about to tell them he couldn't see, when suddenly his vision started to return, and quickly. Everything began to blur in such a way that it looked as if he were staring out the window of a speeding vehicle when it all came to a screeching halt. Blinking several times, he looked up to see he was surrounded by many concerned faces.  
  
"You can't what?" Remus prompted.  
  
Harry glanced around quickly, searching for Malfoy, but he was gone.  
  
"Who hit me?" Harry asked. "It wasn't Malfoy, because it came from behind."  
  
"I don't know," Ron said, "All I saw was you falling forward and Malfoy letting go of Mel and taking off."  
  
"You were hit with a curse?" Remus asked angrily.  
  
"It was so dark you could hardly see it," Mel spoke up. "But I did, it hit him in the back."  
  
"What's going on?" came Sirius' startled voice from back behind the crowd. He broke through to see Harry kneeling in the center of it all and rushed forward. "Are you alright? What happened? Who did this to you?" he began shooting out questions too fast for anyone to answer.  
  
"Someone hit him with a curse," Remus said. "We still don't know who."  
  
"Look, can we not talk about this here?" Harry asked, glancing again at the now very curious faces.  
  
"You should go to see Madam Pomfrey," Sirius said immediately.  
  
"No," Harry replied firmly. "I'm fine. Let's just move to a different part of the room or something."  
  
"But if you were cursed." Sirius began again.  
  
"I'm not.I don't think, not anymore at least. I'll tell you what happened in a moment."  
  
Pushing himself up and taking the hand Sirius held out to him, he stood up. The small group walked out of the circle where Remus was now telling everyone to go back to what they were doing and made their way to the corner of the room.  
  
When Remus and Ginny joined them, telling Elliot she'd only be a minute, Harry explained very quickly what he'd felt when the curse hit him.  
  
"He tried to blind me," Harry said when he finished. "Or whoever actually sent the curse did."  
  
"Didn't anyone see who cast it?" Sirius asked, looking around at the others. Everyone shook their heads.  
  
"None of us were close enough," Ron said.  
  
"Except maybe Mel," Ginny added pointedly.  
  
"I didn't see who it was," Mel said, sounding a little irritated at Ginny's accusing tone. "And if I did see.or if I find out, believe me I'll be telling you who it was."  
  
"Why did he go after you first though?" Harry asked, looking at Mel.  
  
"Probably just to get you out in the open," Hermione said. "You saw what was happening when you and he were arguing, the crowd pulled back to watch. It gave whoever cursed you a clear shot. I think Mel was just a distraction."  
  
"Well it worked then," Harry said, rubbing his back.  
  
"But did it?" Hermione asked. "You can see fine. No curse wears off that quickly, and usually for something like that you'd need a counter- curse."  
  
Harry stared at her blankly.  
  
"I don't know then.I couldn't see for a few seconds there, but then it all came rushing back."  
  
"Could the git have done it wrong?" Ron asked, smirking.  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
"Well we're going to find out exactly what was done," Sirius spoke up suddenly. "I'm going to speak to Dumbledore about this, and then we're going to have a chat with Mr. Malfoy," he spat in disgust. He looked at his godson, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"I'm fine. I promise, everything's okay."  
  
"Alright," Sirius said, smirking. "Take it easy and don't stay up too late!" he said with a wink as he turned and headed towards the door.  
  
Harry smiled after him, before looking again to his friends.  
  
"You kids have fun," Remus said, "and if Malfoy shows up I want to know, understood?"  
  
They all nodded; telling him they would let him know, before he too walked away, back to watch over the ball. The other teachers that were chaperoning came up to him one at a time, probably to ask what had happened.  
  
"Where's Marzia?" Ron asked suddenly, looking around. The other began doing the same.  
  
"I don't see her," Hermione said at last. "Was she here earlier?"  
  
"Yes," Harry and Ron answered at once. "I saw her with Sirius," Harry said.  
  
"Same here," Ron added, narrowing his eyes.  
  
"Well she must've left with him too," Hermione said.  
  
"Let's not get into this here," Harry spoke up. "Please?" he asked, looking at Ron.  
  
"Fine," Ron answered.  
  
Harry nodded his thanks.  
  
"So," he said turning back to Mel with a smile. "I believe we were in the middle of a dance."  
  
The rest of the night went off without a hitch and Harry could hardly believe how late it had gotten when the dance was coming to a close.  
  
"Thank you," Mel said as they walked to the door side by side. "I had a really good time."  
  
"So did I," Harry smiled. "Well except for that part about getting cursed.but otherwise." he joked.  
  
"Oh yes, there was that, wasn't there?" Mel replied, matching his tone. Her expression turned serious, however, as she continued. "I really am going to try and find out who it was, you know. I'm sure Draco had someone else in Slytherin do it. Most likely so he couldn't be blamed for it."  
  
The two of them came to a halt, now outside the great hall. They moved off to the side to continue their discussion.  
  
"You don't have to do that," Harry said quickly. "Not if you don't want to. I know how upset you are already.about how mean he's been to you because of me."  
  
"Don't worry about that," Mel said, trying to shrug it off, but Harry could tell it was bothering her. "He's the one that turned this into something it didn't have to be. On top of that he used me to try to curse you, and that makes me more angry than upset. Now it's personal."  
  
Harry couldn't help but smile as she said this.  
  
"You know," he began, "my friends have got to get to know you better. They'd love you, I swear."  
  
Mel blushed and grinned up at him.  
  
"Well I'm all for that. I'd like to know them better too."  
  
"We're just gonna have to hang out more," Harry sighed, making it sound as if it were a chore.  
  
"Only if you can fit me in to your busy schedule, oh popular one," Mel joked, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Hey," Harry said, pretending to be insulted. "That's Mr. Popular One to you." He squinted his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her.  
  
"That's attractive," Mel laughed.  
  
"I thought so," Harry replied, feigning arrogance.  
  
"You're nuts!" Mel cried at last, a broad smile on her face.  
  
"That's what everyone tells me," Harry said, scratching his head. "I can't imagine why." Putting his hand down he looked back at Mel and grinned. "Okay, seriously though. Thank you for coming with me tonight. I had so much fun, really."  
  
"Thank you for asking me," Mel replied. They looked into each other's eyes and suddenly neither of them had anything to say. It wasn't awkward, just nice. The students leaving the great hall shuffled by unnoticed, no one paying attention to the two of them standing there.  
  
After a few moments, Harry cleared his throat.  
  
"Well, I guess we should probably get going.it's pretty late." he trailed off.  
  
"Yeah, I'm actually more tired than I thought," Mel said, not really seeming it.  
  
"Should I walk you?" Harry asked, looking down the hall that led to the dungeon area.  
  
"Not a good idea," Mel said with a nervous laugh, "I don't think you should be anywhere near the Slytherin dorm, especially not right now."  
  
"You know I don't care about that," Harry said. "I really can take care of myself against them.it's when I'm attacked from behind that it gets bad."  
  
"Which is exactly what they'd do, I'm sure," Mel said. "Honestly I don't need you to escort me there, I've done it a million times on my own. But thank you, for offering." She smiled sweetly at him. "Good night, Harry. Thank you again for a lovely evening."  
  
"Good night Mel," Harry replied. "Sweet dreams."  
  
"You too," she said as she began to walk down the hall. Looking back over her shoulder, she waved her good bye, before turning around and heading towards her dorm.  
  
Harry watched her go until she was out of sight, when she turned the corner at the end of the hall; he finally started off in the opposite direction, towards the Gryffindor tower. Saying goodnight to the few students who were mulling around, he found Ron and Hermione waiting for him at the opposite end of the hall.  
  
"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked, seeing the cloudy expression on Ron's face.  
  
"Elliot's walking her back to the tower and she," he said pointedly, gesturing at Hermione, " wouldn't let me follow them."  
  
"Harry, please tell him he's an idiot," Hermione said flatly.  
  
Harry grinned at her before turning back to Ron.  
  
"You're an idiot."  
  
"Hey, whose side are you on?" Ron asked, heatedly.  
  
"No one's," Harry shrugged. "I refuse to get in the middle of your fights anymore.oh and by the way Ginny's sixteen. Just so you know, there's a one in front of the six."  
  
He smiled at their stunned faces and passed by, calling out as he moved up the hall.  
  
"Good night guys! Happy Christmas! See you in the morning!"  
  
When Harry reached the portrait of the fat lady he immediately went through into the common room. Many students were still awake and talking about the dance, but he spotted Cho in the far corner of the room, reading a book and waiting for him.  
  
"Good morning," he said cheerfully as he neared her.  
  
"Is it that late already?" she asked, lowering her book.  
  
Harry pulled out his watch.  
  
"Quarter past one," he read, before placing it back in his pocket.  
  
"Wow." Cho yawned. "I didn't realize how much time had passed." She paused, looking up at him and grinning. "So, c'mon then. How was the ball?"  
  
"It was great," he smiled, leaning on the arm of the chair behind him. Starting from when they reached the great hall, he began to tell her all about the night. Everything from choosing dinner, to Ron's behavior towards Elliot, to Neville asking about the bottle, to the incident with Malfoy.  
  
"But they still don't know who cursed you?" Cho asked, concerned.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"No, but Sirius and Dumbledore are looking into it, they'll let us know when they find anything. Besides, whoever did it, did it wrong," he laughed.  
  
"Are you sure you're not hurt?" she asked, searching his eyes. She knew very well how much he liked to hide any pain he might be feeling.  
  
"Very sure," he nodded, gazing back at her. Standing up, he stepped towards her and she moved aside as he slid down beside her in the seat. "But thank you for asking."  
  
"I had to be sure," Cho replied with a knowing smile. Harry looked deeply into her eyes. He'd never seen any that could compare to hers, they were just too perfect.  
  
"You know.I missed you tonight," he said, leaning closer.  
  
"Did you?" Cho asked, playfully. "Sounded to me like your evening was too busy to think of anything other than what was going on at the ball. I doubt you thought of me at all the entire time you were there."  
  
"Trust me," Harry said, leaning closer still. "I did." Their lips brushed and he kissed her softly, feeling her return it. Bringing her hand up to his face, she began to kiss him harder. He felt her other arm come up and around his neck, pulling him closer and he wrapped his own arms around her back.  
  
They were lost in each other, caught up in the moment, oblivious too everything around them, when someone very nearby cleared their throat; loudly. Pulling away from one another, they looked up to see Hermione grinning down at them.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt you two," she began and gestured over her shoulder with a slight nod, "but there are children present, in case you hadn't noticed."  
  
Harry put a hand up to his face, wiping at his mouth and Cho began patting her hair down, self-consciously. They both looked in the direction Hermione had pointed to see several of the younger Gryffindors that had stayed up to hear about the ball pointing and laughing at them, whispering to each other.  
  
Harry looked over at Cho, giving her a lopsided grin, to which she immediately began giggling.  
  
"Sorry!" he yelled across the room cheerfully, beginning to laugh as he went on, "Show's over."  
  
The two of them couldn't stop laughing for a moment, and Hermione settled into the chair Harry had been leaning on earlier, smiling at them.  
  
Cho was able to regain her composure first, and looked over at Hermione.  
  
"And where's the ever tactful Mr. Weasley?" she asked, trying not to laugh. "Don't tell me he went to bed without saying goodnight."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and pointed across the room. Ron was standing near the portrait hole, talking with Ginny.  
  
"Giving his poor sister the third degree on Elliot."  
  
"Oh, I feel so bad for her," Cho remarked.  
  
"So do I," Hermione said. "But no matter what I've tried.he still won't let up."  
  
"Look at the poor thing, she looks so tired," Cho said as the three of them watched Ginny yawn widely. She looked as if she were pleading with Ron now to drop the subject but he was paying no attention.  
  
"Okay, I'll do it," Harry said at last, pushing himself forward. He leaned down again and gave Cho a quick kiss. "Goodnight you two, see you in the morning," he said to them as he headed across the room to the others. Ron was in the middle of saying something, heatedly, when Harry strode up beside him and took him by the arm.  
  
"Just wanted to say good night Ginny, hope you had fun tonight!"  
  
"Oh you too Harry," Ginny smiled, exhausted.  
  
"C'mon Ron," Harry said, taking his friend's arm. "Let's go."  
  
"Hey!" Ron exclaimed as Harry pulled him away from his sister. Ginny didn't waste any time, with a quick wave to Hermione and Cho, she bolted through the doors to the dormitories and out of sight.  
  
"I'll take it from here," Hermione joked as she came up beside the two of them. "Thank you Harry."  
  
"Good night," Harry said again, smiling. He headed for the door; now feeling pleasantly tired, and started up the stairs.  
  
The next morning at breakfast, Harry could feel his eyelids drooping. He'd gotten only a few hours of sleep before Hermione had burst into the boys' dorm to wake both him and Ron.  
  
"C'mon you two!" she called, sounding far too chipper. "We promised Hagrid we'd help him out today and we still need to talk to Sirius about last night. Up, up, up!"  
  
She went to both of their beds, yanking back the curtains as far as they would go, before doing the same to the ones at the window, letting the sunshine fall across their faces.  
  
"What time is it?" Ron mumbled, rolling over on his side to avoid the light.  
  
"Seven," Hermione replied, brightly.  
  
"In the morning?" Ron whined. "I'm not getting up now, forget it."  
  
"We promised Hagrid we'd meet him at nine," Hermione admonished, now pulling the covers back from Ron's bed as well. "And if we want a chance to talk with Sirius and Dumbledore we'll have to do it now, because we won't have time to later."  
  
"Okay, okay, alright," Harry finally muttered, sitting up in his bed. "Just keep it down," he said, looking from Hermione to Neville's sleeping form and back, pointedly.  
  
"Oh, sorry," Hermione said quickly. "You're definitely up though? I'm not gonna have to come back to."  
  
"We're up, I p-promise, just give us a few minutes," Harry yawned.  
  
"Alright," Hermione said, looking uncertainly at them. She turned and headed for the door, coming to a stop just as she reached it. "Oh, and remember," she called in a loud whisper. "Wear clothes that you don't care about.because it's gonna be messy when."  
  
"I remember," Harry hissed, waving his hands to shush her. "Don't worry, we'll be there in just a few minutes." Harry waited until he heard Hermione's footsteps descending the stairs before he finally stood.  
  
"C'mon Ron," he said, giving his friend a shake. "We really have to get up now."  
  
Ron let out a muffled groan before forcing himself to sit up.  
  
"Why did we promise Hagrid we'd help him in his garden today anyway?" he asked, miserably. "It's the middle of winter for the love of Pete! And for the entire day, no less."  
  
"Which is why he asked for our help," Harry said, looking through his trunk. Hagrid had said it would be very messy, and he knew exactly what he was going to wear. Rummaging around he finally found what he was looking for; a t-shirt, flannel and oversized pants; all formerly belonging to Dudley.  
  
"You still have those?" Ron asked incredulously as Harry began to change.  
  
"Hey," Harry began, pulling the t-shirt over his head, "you never know when they'll come in handy. I always thought it would be for cleaning rags or something.but this is just as good."  
  
"If you say so," Ron shrugged, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He changed into one of his mum's many sweaters for him and an old pair of pants, before the two of them headed downstairs together.  
  
Now they were at breakfast and just about finished. Barely anyone else was in the great hall as they were all still sleeping, tired from the ball the night before.  
  
"Do you think Sirius will have found anything out by now?" Ginny asked, as they were just about finished.  
  
"I don't know," Harry shrugged, tiredly. "I guess we'll find out.when we find him."  
  
"Looks like we won't have to," Hermione remarked. Everyone looked up at her and she nodded up towards the front of the hall, where Sirius and Remus were making their way over.  
  
"I didn't expect you to be up so early," Sirius began as he reached them. "We checked your tower first and didn't find you there, so we came down here."  
  
"We should be there," Ron said pointedly. "But we're helping Hagrid do who knows what in his garden today."  
  
"Even with all this snow on the ground?" Remus asked, confused.  
  
"Exactly why I don't understand it," Ron remarked.  
  
Sirius shrugged.  
  
"Well, I'm sure Hagrid has his reasons," he said, rolling his eyes. His expression darkened, however as he continued.  
  
"I'm afraid to say we still have very little to tell you about what happened last night. It appears no one saw who cursed you, and Malfoy is staying silent."  
  
"I'd expected as much," Harry said, noncommittally. "It doesn't matter, we know it was done wrong, whatever they were doing.probably either Crabbe or Goyle."  
  
"This would be so much easier if Dumbledore would let us use Veritaserum on the little git,' Sirius said in a low voice.  
  
"Sirius, my friend," Remus began, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You know he'd never let that happen, no matter how untrustworthy the student is. Someone's life would have to be at stake before he'd allow that."  
  
"Well it very well could have been, for all we know!" Sirius shot back, not looking comforted in the least.  
  
"Sirius, I'm fine," Harry spoke up, suddenly feeling the need to reassure his godfather of this. "Really, whatever he tried to do, it failed, and it didn't seem very harmful to begin with."  
  
"I don't mean to interrupt," Hermione spoke up suddenly, looking very apologetic. "But we really have to go. We said we'd be at Hagrid's by nine and that's only five minutes from now."  
  
"Oh, you best get going then," Sirius said, forcing a smile. "Be careful, stay alert," he said to Harry.  
  
"Promise," Harry said, reassuringly. They stood up together, and walked towards the doors. Sirius and Remus started off in the opposite direction, still discussing last night's events.  
  
Reaching the entrance to the school, Harry and Ron pushed the doors open, allowing Hermione and Ginny to go first, before following them down towards Hagrid's hut.  
  
"'Allo you four!" Hagrid cried happily as he caught sight of Harry and his friends coming up to him.  
  
"Hello Hagrid," they all said at once, sounding like a big jumble.  
  
"I see yeh's aren't quite awake yet, eh?" he laughed, "We'll soon fix that, yeh'll see, we will indeed! C'mon 'roun back nohw, all eh yeh's. Iy'll get yehs all sum shovels an' we can get started."  
  
"Shovels?" Ron asked loudly as the followed him around back. He had already started their project for the day and had several shovels laid out on the ground, ready for them.  
  
"There yehs are," he said, pointing. "Sorry they ain't all very small, but them's the on'y ones I got. Iy'll leave it for yeh's ta decide who gets which one."  
  
The four of them moved closer, to see four abnormally large shovels in front of them. Hermione and Ginny immediately made grabs for the smaller ones, leaving two for Harry and Ron. One large, one much larger. Ron looked at Harry miserably for the umpteenth time that day and Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh just take the smaller one, you big baby," he said as Ron smiled gleefully, grabbing the shovel. Harry leant down and grasped his own shovel tightly, before heaving it into an upright position. It was nearly as tall as he was.  
  
"Right, yeh's all set then?" Hagrid asked, looking at each of them in turn. They nodded, trying not to look too unhappy as he went on. "Good, okay, here's what we're doin."  
  
Hagrid explained how they needed to break through the ground, which was very hard due to the extreme cold temperatures, to reach the roots of the plants in the garden. Once they got down that far, they needed to pull the roots out and place them in the jars which, the four of them saw, were lined up along the opposite side of the garden.  
  
"This'll take ages," Ron commented as he tried to break the ground with the tip of his shovel, stepping down on it with all of his weight.  
  
"Why did you agree to help if all you're going to do is complain?" Hermione asked, irritated.  
  
"I think you agreed for me," Ron replied. "Remember? He asked you about it after our class last week.you told him we'd be glad to help. I never had a choice."  
  
"Okay you two," Harry cut them off. "We've just started and I really don't want to spend the entire day arguing. It'll only make it take longer and I'd like to see Cho at some point today, even if it's just for a little while."  
  
Ron didn't look any happier about it, but stopped complaining for the time being. Harry moved across to where Hagrid was working and started talking to him about everything that had been happening. Most of it Hagrid was already aware of as Gazten and he had been talking about everything, but when Harry tried to ask about her, Hagrid would only change the subject, asking him about something entirely off topic. Finally, Harry gave up trying to press Hagrid for information, and had a regular chat.  
  
By the time they stopped for lunch, they were no longer wearing their winter cloaks. The four of them were anything but cold and had their sleeves rolled up, sweat dripping down their face. They trudged back up to the school and went directly to the great hall, drawing strange looks from everyone around them.  
  
"This is taking forever," Ron commented, shoving a piece of chicken in his mouth. "We're not even going to be halfway done by the time the sun sets. What does he need all these roots for anyway?"  
  
Hermione shrugged.  
  
"Maybe he's collecting them for Gazten," she suggested. "Sometimes you use the roots of different plants for healing potions and such."  
  
"Well than she should be out there digging," Ron replied.  
  
"I wonder where she is anyway," Harry spoke up. "I didn't see her as one of the chaperone's last night.and she's not up at the teachers' table right now."  
  
"She's not the only one that isn't here," Hermione said. "Look around. Neville and Draco aren't anywhere I can see."  
  
The other three did as she said, before looking back at her.  
  
"How interesting," Harry said, not knowing what to make of it.  
  
"Where's Cho anyway, Harry?" Ron asked, taking a large forkful of potatoes.  
  
"She said there were a few things she needed to do today," Harry explained. "If she isn't in the common room when we're done, then she might not be in till late. I think there are a few things she's going over with Dumbledore.about her parents, mostly."  
  
The others nodded, and went back to their food. When they were finished, they again made the journey down to Hagrid's hut and began to shovel into the hard, cold dirt.  
  
Harry was stopping every few seconds as sweat kept dripping into his eyes and his hair hung in his face. He kept pushing back the oversized sleeves on the large flannel but the wrists on it were too big even to stay in place on his upper arms. Several hours went by and discussion was at a minimum, everyone too tired to do anything except concentrate on the task at hand.  
  
By the time the sun began to set, they'd made it three-quarters of the way through the garden. Hagrid thanked them profusely for taking the time to help him, and sent them on their way with his infamous rock- hard brownies, which they politely accepted.  
  
After what seemed like one of the longest walks of their lives, every muscle aching and screaming, they finally made it back to their tower.  
  
"I'm going to bed," Hermione said immediately, barely bothering to say good night.  
  
"Same here," Ginny murmured, her eyes already closed as she followed Hermione to the door.  
  
"Sorry Harry, I think I'm turning in too," Ron said when he didn't notice Cho anywhere in the room. Harry glanced around once more, lingering hopefully on the portrait hole, before finally deciding there'd be no way he could stay awake for any length of time anyway.  
  
"Don't be sorry," Harry said, "I can't wait either. I'll talk to Cho in the morning, hope everything went alright for her."  
  
The two friends made their way upstairs and each of them headed for his own bed. Harry was so tired he didn't even bother to get changed. He plopped onto his bed in his muddy, oversized clothes; falling asleep almost the moment his head hit the pillow. The two of them had been so exhausted, and desperate for sleep, that neither of them paid any notice to the blue bottle with the cork in it, sitting on Harry's bedside table.  
  
What should have been a deep, well-needed sleep for Harry was anything but. Nightmares plagued him, causing him to toss and turn fretfully for hours. To make it worse, it wasn't a dream playing out before him, it was images flashing, unattached to one another, of the people he loved most in pain. Over and over he watched as his friends were tortured, and killed, all because of him. He saw their bodies lying lifelessly, but the second each picture entered his mind it would pass, pushing forth the next gruesome image.  
  
Voldemort's face loomed into view; Harry could hear his high cackling laugh, feel the heat from his burning red eyes. Unable to stand it any longer, Harry shot up in bed, fully awake, his scar searing with pain. He clutched his head in agony, biting his lower lip, trying not to cry out. His hair was drenched with sweat, which was dripping down his face and into his eyes, but he didn't care. He waited, for what seemed like ages, until finally the pain subsided.  
  
Letting out a shaky breath, he tried to reassure himself it was just a dream. Voldemort was not here, his friends were alive and well, and it was going to stay that way.  
  
Still feeling too stuffy and hot, he pushed the curtains back from around his bed, just realizing he was still fully clothed in his muddy attire from the previous days activities.  
  
He was about to get up to change, when a glint of light caught his eye. He looked at his bedside table to see the moonlight sparkling off of the blue bottle and his stomach twisted slowly.  
  
How did that get there? he thought worriedly, standing up and leering over it. He looked at it for a few tense moments, before shaking his head, letting out a nervous laugh.  
  
"Don't be dumb, Harry," he whispered to himself. "It didn't get here all by itself." Deciding that this time he had to show it to Dumbledore, explaining both Sirius and Marzia's reaction to it, and how it had mysteriously reappeared, he reached forward.  
  
His hand stopped dead, however, when the bottle began to admit a bright glow from within. Harry took a step back, feeling his jaw drop, as the small object began to tremble. The movement became more violent and the bottle was teetering dangerously close to the edge, but Harry was unable to move, frozen to the spot.  
  
He watched, both fascinated and frightened, as the bottle gave a final lurch, pitching over the edge of the table, and landing hard on the floor, ceasing all movement.  
  
"It didn't break." Harry whispered, keeping his eyes on the delicate bottle. He stood in tense silence, entirely unsure of what to do. The bottle seemed to have stopped whatever it was doing, but he had no desire to be anywhere near it. Finally, he decided it would be best to bring the headmaster here, someone obviously wanted it in his room, so what were the chances of it being gone when he returned?  
  
He tore his eyes away and started for the door, when his attention was brought back around by a popping noise behind him. Harry's eyes widened in shock as he saw the cork was no longer in the bottle. Taking a tentative step forward, he leaned down to peer at it closer, trying to see clearly in the dark room when suddenly a dark flash shot out of the bottle's mouth.  
  
Harry jumped back, looking around for whatever had just entered the room. He could hear tiny footsteps, sounding everywhere at once. All of his instincts were telling him to get out of the room, find Dumbledore, get help, but he couldn't. He couldn't because his friends were in here with whatever it was, and he refused to leave them.  
  
Thrusting his hand in his pocket, he pulled out his wand.  
  
"Lumos," he whispered, watching as bright light instantly emitted from its tip.  
  
The noises the small creature was making were now centered near his bed, and he slowly made his way over. Moving ever so slowly, he knelt down, shining the light underneath it.  
  
Nothing.  
  
He stood up and moved around to the other side, searching every crack and crevice he could find, but coming up empty each time.  
  
As he knelt down to search behind his trunk, he could tell this was it. He could hear the little creature's breathing, and a horrible stench assaulted his nose. He drew back a little, aiming the wand into the darkness, when he felt an intense pain in his hand. Looking down quickly, aiming the light, he barely caught the movement of the small creature retreating, but his attention was drawn to his hand. It was bleeding hard, a very deep slash across the top of it. He pulled it towards him and instantly grabbed the tail end of his shirt, pressing it against the wound to stop the flow of blood. Cursing vehemently, he pointed his wand in front of him and stood up quickly.  
  
The dizziness hit immediately and Harry swayed on his feet. This can't be right, he thought, I've barely lost any blood at all.  
  
But the sick feeling only increased and Harry clutched his stomach in pain. The room was spinning, madly, out of control and his head hurt to look at it. He lowered his head, keeping his eyes shut tightly, willing the nauseas feeling to stop.  
  
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he looked up slowly, glancing around the room. Everything was still moving, but not as it was before. This time, the room was growing, becoming larger around him. Harry felt his stomach lurch as he looked down again. His wand was doing the same thing as the room, it was growing too big for him to hold. Looking around in fear, the reality of what was happening dawned on him. The room wasn't growing.  
  
He was shrinking. 


	15. Chapter 15

Harry put out a hand, pressing it against his trunk, trying to suppress the fear that was threatening to consume him. He was getting smaller by the second and less than a minute after it started; everything came to a screeching halt. Harry looked to his right, slowly, seeing his wand lying on the floor beside him. Only now, the base of it came up to his hips, and the opposite end looked to be about fifty feet away.  
  
Taking a shaky breath, he leaned his back up against his trunk, trying to force himself to think. His hand was still bleeding quite badly and his shirttail was now soaked through with blood. He needed to get to Ron's bed, and he needed to do it quick. Whatever had come out of the bottle was still in the room with him, and he had no way to defend himself without his wand.  
  
Looking around tensely, he stepped away from the trunk, only to come face to face with the creature. Harry gasped in horror. It was taller than he was by four feet and consisted of shadow and smoke. It grinned wickedly at him, showing off row upon row of razor sharp teeth. Raising the dagger it had used to slit his hand earlier, it advanced on him. Harry didn't even think, he took a step back out of the creature's reach, before ducking under its arm and starting to run.  
  
It was too fast for him though, just as he made it under the outstretched dagger the creature had turned in its spot, catching the back of his shirt. It yanked him backwards harshly, and Harry could see he was being taken back towards the bottle. The shadowy being let go of Harry's shirt and grasped his arm, making sure he couldn't slip away. They reached the bottle and Harry was flung into the pitch- blackness inside.  
  
He looked around frantically, willing his eyes to adjust, and heard the creature moving behind him. The small light that was coming into the bottle at them winked out of sight as the creature sucked the cork back in on them.  
  
Harry was in complete darkness, and began backing up slowly. He couldn't see to fight the creature and had no idea what it wanted with him. He tried to keep his breathing quiet, though to him it sounded as if it were magnified one hundred times over.  
  
He felt something move behind him and instantly started to spin around when he was grabbed roughly, his arms pinned to his sides by the creature. Knowing it was probably useless, but unable to just sit there, he started to struggle to get away; only to stop however, when the creature raised its dagger, holding it under his head and pushing it into the soft skin of his neck.  
  
Harry didn't breathe. Was the creature going to try to kill him here, where no one would ever find his body? Or did it want something else? Sweat trickled down his face as the minutes ticked by, neither one of them moving. Harry could feel the muscles in his legs cramping from all the exercise he'd put them through the day before, but he didn't dare shift his position.  
  
Suddenly, a light began to surround them, and Harry couldn't see where it could be coming from. He had the brief hope that someone in the room had turned on the light, giving them a possibility of finding them, but that hope faded quickly. The light grew steadily brighter, making it impossible to see. Harry squinted his eyes shut, praying that whatever was happening, it would be over soon.  
  
Another moment passed and Harry could no longer feel the bottle beneath his feet. It was as if they were floating, he could hear wind rushing by his head and his hair was blowing wildly, but all the while, neither he nor the creature moved a muscle. How long they stayed this way, Harry had no idea, but after what felt like ages the imp began to loosen it's grip around him. The dagger was taken away from his neck and Harry let out a sigh of relief, just seconds before he was shoved forward, violently.  
  
The light was gone in that instant and Harry fell hard, wincing as he cracked his knees on the floor. He let out a low moan of pain as he rubbed them gently. Feeling very disoriented and having no idea where he was, he raised his head slowly, but before he was able to get even the slightest glimpse of his surroundings, he scar seared with pain and he shut his eyes tightly as he clutched it. A high, cruel laugh filled the air around him, and he felt his blood run cold.  
  
Forcing himself to do it, he raised his head again, his vision blurring in and out, to see Voldemort standing a few feet away. He was cackling evilly, his glowing red eyes glaring down at Harry with sick glee.  
  
"We've been waiting for you," Voldemort said calmly, still grinning down at Harry.  
  
"How.?" Harry asked, weakly, distantly realizing he was back to his normal size.  
  
Voldemort merely smirked at him, turning his gaze to someone behind Harry. "Pick him up."  
  
Almost immediately, Harry felt himself being pulled roughly to his feet and held there by two death eaters. Looking around the room, he saw it was filled with death eaters; shapeshifters too.  
  
"The boy who lived," Voldemort spat with disgust, hatred burning in his eyes. "Did you like your Christmas present, boy?" he asked, tauntingly. "I assure you there's more to come."  
  
"You sent me the bottle then?" Harry asked, angry with himself for not bringing it to Dumbledore in the first place.  
  
"As much as I'd love to take credit for that, it was one of Saaneeraa's more brilliant ideas."  
  
"Dumbledore knows she's in the school," Harry said, trying to sound threatening. "She'll be found, and when she is."  
  
"Highly unlikely, boy," Voldemort interrupted, stepping closer to Harry, causing his scar to burn with such intensity he wanted to scream. He tried to bring his hands up to it but they were held firmly at his sides, so he clenched his teeth, trying not to think about the pain.  
  
"Bottle imps are quite common in Faerun, you know," Voldemort said, almost casually. "They can be used to kill, or capture. Of course, if you had lived there most of your life you probably would have destroyed the bottle the instant you had seen it. However, you didn't know, and now here you are. A day late, granted, but here just the same. We were a bit worried when you had gotten rid of the bottle by yourself, but luckily it was found, unharmed, and returned to you to carry out its mission."  
  
He paused there, giving Harry another look of hatred.  
  
"It's been more than sixteen years since I tried to kill you, boy. Tonight it will finally happen."  
  
"There's no escape this time, kid," a voice whispered in Harry's ear. He turned to see Gridman standing to his right, smiling like a kid on Christmas morning. "Now we know how to kill you," he continued, almost cheerfully.  
  
"Be quiet!" the death eater on his other side spat. Harry recognized the voice before turning to see. Lucius Malfoy. "You do not speak unless it is requested of you," he said menacingly.  
  
Gridman glared angrily at Lucius, but kept silent, as Voldemort moved closer still, ignoring their little spat.  
  
Harry looked around desperately. The room they were in looked entirely unfamiliar and no one knew where he was. He didn't have his wand, as whatever the imp had done to shrink him obviously didn't affect it. The watch that could lead his friends to him was also back at Hogwart's, as he didn't want to take it with him when they were working in Hagrid's garden. It was lying uselessly in his trunk, at the foot of his empty bed.  
  
Voldemort stepped directly in front of him now and Harry steeled himself for whatever was coming. He expected them to try to curse him, probably even try to kill him, and he knew whatever magic they used, while it would hurt, it wouldn't kill him. Not while he had Lunis.  
  
However, nobody raised their wands, instead, Voldemort turned to look at the death eater nearest the door and nodded. The death eater returned the nod, and left the room. Harry looked after him, confused and uneasy.  
  
After several minutes that felt to Harry like hours, the door to the room swung slowly open. Two death eaters came into the room, dragging someone who was struggling between them.  
  
Harry's jaw dropped in horror and the air in the room suddenly seemed very thin.  
  
"Cho," he said in a shaky voice, watching as his girlfriend was pulled to a stop across the room from him.  
  
"Harry!" she cried when she spotted him, fear evident in her voice. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"  
  
Harry just looked at her, feeling helpless.  
  
"Don't hurt her," he said in a low voice, turning to look at Voldemort. "She has nothing to do with this, just let her go."  
  
"She has everything to do with this," Voldemort snapped. "She is the key to getting rid of you."  
  
"What?" Harry asked, deeply confused. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Voldemort looked at him skeptically, sizing him up.  
  
"You mean to tell me you didn't know she's the defender?"  
  
Harry glanced at Cho who looked just as bewildered as he felt.  
  
"I think you're mistaken," Harry said tentatively.  
  
Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously.  
  
"I most certainly am not mistaken," he spat vehemently. "Why do you think I made sure my servants kept such careful watch over her at the ministry? Since we've known about your defender we suspected her from the first. Every move she made was under surveillance, even her letters were confiscated after she had discarded them."  
  
"But I'm telling you, I don't have a defender," Harry insisted stubbornly, only causing Voldemort to become angrier still.  
  
"I admit you made it hard for us to be certain," he said in an icy voice. "Your broom was cursed, hoping to draw out your defender, but you had given it to that stupid Weasley girl to use. Then just the other night you were cursed with a spell that should have rendered you completely helpless, all of your senses gone. Your defender would have been forced to come out, to help you." he trailed off then, glaring dangerously at Harry. "But it appears, you're learning to use your powers quicker than I'd anticipated. You forced the curse away, which is why we must act now."  
  
"I what?" Harry asked loudly. "I didn't do anything.whoever sent the curse just did it wrong."  
  
"You're a fool if you believe that," Voldemort said, smirking.  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes, glaring up at the twisted man.  
  
"It sounds to me like your attempts to draw anyone out failed.there's no way you can be certain there is a defender.and if there is it isn't Cho."  
  
"You would do well to remember whom you're speaking to boy," Voldemort spun on him, enraged. "I find it very odd that your beloved headmaster never explained this to you, but none of that matters now. I am going to dispose of you and your precious defender, and then your power will be mine."  
  
"No!" Harry couldn't stop himself from yelling. "Just let her go.she doesn't need to be dragged into this, please." he pleaded, now fully struggling against the death eaters gripping his arms.  
  
Voldemort watched Harry with an amused smile, his red eyes glinting maliciously.  
  
"Tell me Harry," he began tauntingly, "what did that muggle loving fool give you as the reason you survived Gridman's attack at the beginning of the school year?"  
  
"Don't," Cho said in a low voice from across the room, tears streaming down her face. "Don't tell him."  
  
Harry hesitated for a moment, uncertain. He knew Voldemort knew about Lunis, but that he didn't know how to kill him. However, if it would save Cho, he'd tell everything he knew.  
  
"He said you wanted control of Lunis," Harry said at last, looking defiantly into Voldemort's eyes. "You want it but you still don't know how to get it."  
  
Voldemort stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable. The room grew so silent that the only noise was the sound of branches scraping against the side of the house they were in.  
  
"Lunis?" Voldemort asked, his face breaking into a wicked smile. He began to laugh, lightly at first, but growing harder as the seconds passed. "Lunis?" he cried louder this time. "Stupid boy, whatever you've been told it was a lie. I took that pathetic power from your father sixteen years ago, the night I killed him."  
  
Harry couldn't even speak. His head was ready to split from all the conflicting information and he honestly didn't know what to believe.  
  
"Your father and the old fool thought they could beat me with Lunis," Voldemort went on. "But I knew better. My powers were already far beyond that of any other witch or wizard who has lived. I took Lunis from your father, and then I killed him. He stood no chance of defeating me, even if he did know how to use it."  
  
"You're lying," Harry spat, feeling suddenly enraged.  
  
"Am I?" Voldemort asked, cruelly. "It doesn't really matter one way or the other. I know the truth, and what you've been told is far from it."  
  
"Dumbledore wouldn't lie to me, not about this," Harry said fiercely, trying to lunge forward. Gridman and Lucius laughed at his feeble attempts to escape and held him in place.  
  
"Well it appears he has," Voldemort smiled, obviously quite pleased with Harry's confusion. "But I'm through wasting time," he went on, turning serious. "Your power will be mine and I've waited long enough."  
  
Pulling out his wand, Voldemort crossed the room to where Cho was standing. Harry watched helplessly, desperately trying to free himself now.  
  
"Leave her alone!" he yelled as he managed to pull the two death eaters a few feet forward. Tightening their hold on him, Lucius took one hand away from Harry's arm and grabbed a handful of his hair, just as Gridman kicked Harry in the knees from behind. He fell forward again, slamming hard into the floor, as they kept their hold on him.  
  
Cho looked down at him from where she stood, her face had gone white with fear and she was crying hard.  
  
Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it directly at Cho.  
  
"Care to say something, before she dies?" he asked cruelly, smiling at Harry.  
  
"I swear if you do it.I'll kill you," Harry said in a menacing voice.  
  
"Touching," Voldemort said, "wouldn't have been my choice of last words."  
  
"Harry," Cho said softly, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Please.Harry." she cried as her voice broke. Bringing her hands to her face, she wept softly.  
  
"Cho.don't worry." Harry cried, desperately trying to move. "It'll be alright." He wanted so much to go to her.to reassure her of this, but even if he could, his stomach was twisting with fear and doubt. He had no way to get her out of this.they were both in the worst trouble of their lives.  
  
He looked up at Voldemort again to see the glowing red eyes peering back at him. Voldemort turned his face away and looked directly at Cho, who was sobbing into her hands. Smiling once more at Harry's distraught face, obviously savoring this moment, he finally spoke.  
  
"Avada Kedavra."  
  
Harry watched in numb disbelief, seeing everything in slow motion, as the flash of green light left Voldemort's wand and hit Cho with such a force it pushed her backwards. Her arms flung out to the sides and her head whipped back and forth once, as her body fell through the air. She hit the floor with a dull thump, and laid there, dead.  
  
"No!" Harry cried, weakly, trying furiously now to move. He pulled at his arms, needing to free them, needing to get to Cho.  
  
"Release him," Voldemort said with a casual wave of his hand and Harry felt himself being shoved forward. He paid no attention to this, though as he scrambled to his feet and crossed the room to where Cho's lifeless body laid. Her eyes were wide with terror and the tears she had been crying still lay, moist against her skin.  
  
Pain worse than he'd ever felt flooded his being. His knees began to shake and he slumped to the floor. He wanted to scream. He wanted to hurt everyone in the room with him. He wanted to kill Voldemort for what he'd done. But above all of that, he wanted Cho to be alive again.  
  
"Cho." he whispered, feeling as if he would be sick. Ever so gently, he leaned forward and pulled her to him, cradling her in his arms. This couldn't be happening, it had to be a dream. Closing his eyes tightly to cut off the tears threatening to fall, he leaned his head against hers, kissing her gently on her forehead as he rocked her back and forth.  
  
"Don't be sad, Potter," Voldemort said, emotionlessly. "You'll be joining her in a moment."  
  
"Why did you kill her?" Harry asked in a voice shaking with fury.  
  
"The defender had to be killed, in order to get to you," Voldemort said matter-of-factly.  
  
"She wasn't the defender!" Harry screamed, his eyes flashing in hatred. "You killed her for no reason, she's never had anything to do with any of this!"  
  
"Well I wouldn't say no reason," Voldemort said smugly. "I am quite enjoying watching you right now.  
  
Harry balled his hands into fists and clenched his teeth. Lying Cho gently to back down to the floor, he stood up and faced Voldemort.  
  
"You're going to pay for what you did," he said in a voice that exhibited much more confidence then he was feeling. He glared in hatred, when something inside him began to stir.  
  
"Your empty threats mean nothing to me, boy," Voldemort spat. "I told you you'd be joining her and that's exactly what will happen. Enough of these games."  
  
"I'm not playing a game," Harry hissed, taking a step forward. He could almost feel electricity in the air as he did so and even Voldemort let a doubtful expression cross his face. It was gone in an instant however and he quickly raised his wand.  
  
"This is the end for you, Harry Potter," he said clearly.  
  
Harry didn't move, he stood his ground and waited for what was coming.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort shouted, and for the second time that evening a beam of green light shot from the tip of his wand.  
  
Harry watched with interest as the light sped toward him. He thought for a moment that something was wrong with his eyes, for it seemed to be slowing down, but as he caught the scared expressions of death eaters near him, he realized it wasn't just him. The curse was losing speed by the second. As it neared his chest Harry looked down at the green light, willing it not to hit him.  
  
And it stopped.  
  
The large ball of green light hovered in front of Harry, hissing and popping like a fire. He stared at it, a stunned expression on his face, his mind having trouble believing what his eyes were seeing. Beads of sweat ran down the sides of his face as the realization of what was happening sunk in. He had somehow stopped the curse from hitting him. How this was possible he didn't know, but he knew it was he who had done it as whatever energy he had called upon was now slowly fading.  
  
The curse lurched forward half a foot and Harry inhaled sharply, stepping back to avoid contact with it. His face was stretched in a painful grimace as he tried to keep his concentration. Focusing all of his strength into not allowing the deadly light any nearer, he knew it would be impossible to stay this way for much longer.  
  
Harry almost lost control completely and began to hyperventilate as blinding pain shot suddenly through his scar. Gritting his teeth, breathing too quickly, he dared to tear his gaze away from the curse to find Voldemort standing less than two feet from him, glaring at him in silent, deadly fury.  
  
Hatred filled Harry such as he had never felt before. He wanted to destroy Voldemort. End his life as he had done to so many others. Harry was going to kill him, for everything he'd done to cause misery and sorrow, and for all that would surely be coming if he were allowed to live.  
  
Summoning all that remained of his strength and energy, Harry focused everything into the curse, willing it to move, to strike Voldemort down, to end this horrible nightmare. He stopped breathing altogether, straining to do this one last thing, but the green light wouldn't budge. Instead it seemed to grow brighter, while at the same time, becoming smaller, collapsing in on itself. For a split-second Harry could see the green light reflected in Voldemort's nightmarish red eyes, when suddenly, it died. It burst into nothing, disintegrating in front of them, glints of green and silver fizzling out of existence.  
  
Harry felt his energy draining away; his legs were shaking from exhaustion and he was gasping for air. The throbbing in his scar increased intensely and he could no longer remain standing. Unable to stop from crying out, he slumped to the floor in agony, every muscle in his body screaming in pain.  
  
Voldemort looked down upon him with pitiless eyes.  
  
"That girl," he began, his voice thick with disgust, "was not the defender."  
  
The room was utterly silent except for Harry's heavy breathing.  
  
"Lucius, Gridman," Voldemort nearly spat, turning to the two death eaters, his eyes flashing dangerously. They jumped to attention as he said their names, fearing for their lives. "Bring him downstairs and give him the serum. Saaneeraa must be brought here now, the defender must be found and I grow tired of waiting."  
  
"Yes my lord," both men replied in hushed voices. They crossed the room immediately to where Harry sat, only just beginning to breathe normally. Taking him by the arms, they dragged him to his feet. He didn't fight as they pulled him towards the door, having no strength left to even try. He felt a lump rise in his throat as his eyes fell again on Cho's lifeless form, and held his breath until it passed. If nothing else, he would never let Voldemort see him cry.  
  
They passed through the door and he paid little attention to anything around him as they descended several flights of stairs. Coming at last to the bottom, he looked around and saw what could only have been described as a dungeon. There were four cells, all dank and dark. Empty except for a rickety wooden bed attached to the wall and a pail. Moving to the nearest cell, Lucius reached forward with his wand, touching it to the fourth bar from the left. The bars seemed to become hazy, shifting in and out of sight, and they flung Harry through them with such force he slammed into the wall opposite them, before hitting the floor with a dull thud.  
  
He lay there, trying to force himself to move, trying to do anything at all, but unable. Watching helplessly as Lucius reached his hand into his robes, pulling out a small vile of pink colored liquid. Together the two men entered the cell, kneeling down on either side of Harry. Gridman grasped a handful of his hair, and when Harry weakly reached up to try and stop him, the death eater took hold of his wrists as well. Lucius put a hand around his jaw, wrenching Harry's mouth open and forcing the serum down his throat, closing his mouth was a harsh snap. He kept his hand there for a moment more, ensuring it was all swallowed, smirking at Harry's feeble attempts to free himself from their grasp, before easing his grip and dropping his arm. Harry began to cough violently as the two men stood. He was again gasping for air, his throat burning in pain.  
  
The two men left the cell area and Lucius used his wand as he had before to solidify the bars once more. Glaring disgustedly at Harry, they turned and headed for the stairs, leaving him gasping and twitching.  
  
Harry lay against the wall, his insides burning in agony. Clutching his stomach, he tried to keep as still as possible, wondering what the serum they'd given him was for. He knew it couldn't be Veritaserum, as it had a color to it and Veritaserum was completely transparent.  
  
He remembered back to Halloween, when Percy had tried to make him drink a potion, but Neville has smashed it. It had been the same color as what he'd just been given. That had to be what it was, only he never found out what exactly it did.  
  
Moving slowly, he slipped a hand into his pocket, searching for his watch, and remembering once again that he didn't have it on him.  
  
"Dammit," he muttered, thumping his head against the wall behind him. When he'd been getting ready to help Hagrid the previous morning he had decided to leave it in his trunk. He hadn't wanted to take the chance of it falling out of one of the tattered pockets on Dudley's old pants, and being lost in Hagrid's garden.  
  
Everyone would know he was missing soon enough. His bed was empty, his wand was on the floor in the dorm and if he was here long enough for someone to try and use the watch to find him, well they'd end up in his trunk.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly and shakily. He tried to shift his position, to make himself even slightly more comfortable, but his stomach flipped slowly, telling him to stop. He didn't want to think about what the serum was doing to him, and shut his eyes tightly, waiting for his stomach to settle.  
  
As the feeling finally passed, he opened his eyes and took a good look around for the first time. He saw immediately, just how slim his chances of escaping the prison he'd been left in were. There were no windows to try to climb through and no locks to pick. Unless he could somehow get hold of a wand, he was stuck in this room until someone came to let him out.  
  
Images of Cho began to creep into his mind, causing his eyes to well up, grief threatening to consume him. But he blinked away the tears, furiously. If he let himself fall apart here, it would make him far more vulnerable. He was going to escape, and when he was strong enough, he was going to hunt Voldemort down.and kill him.  
  
Looking around again, determined, he pushed himself into more of an upright position. Taking a deep breath, still feeling the uneasiness inside, he slid his back slowly up against the wall, forcing himself to stand. The sickness rose in his throat almost immediately, causing him double over as he wretched, but he was able to hold it in. Swallowing painfully, his glasses slipping down his nose from the sticky sweat on his face, he once again forced himself to stand.  
  
With shaky legs, Harry cautiously took a step forward, one hand against the wall to keep him steady. Taking another step, and another, he had to release his grip. Moving slowly, he steadily made his way across to the bars. The room was too hot to breathe and he wanted to just give in, to collapse where he stood, but refused. He would not allow them to find him in a heap; he would face them on his feet.  
  
As he reached the bars, he grasped them with slippery hands, greedily gulping in air as some of his tension was relieved. He rested his head against the bars, which were cool against his skin. There had to be a way through, and he was going to search until he found it.  
  
Glancing towards the bar Lucius had tapped to open the cell, he made his way towards it, reaching hand over hand, until he was directly in front of it. He put out his hand, sliding it along the bar carefully. He knew there would probably never be any way to get through it without a wand, but he had to be sure. He stopped moving his hand as it touched the spot he had seen Lucius hit earlier, when suddenly he heard a noise outside his cell.  
  
Looking up anxiously, he saw the door to the room swinging open very slowly, as if someone were trying to attract as little attention as possible.  
  
"Who's there?" Harry asked weakly, his own voice surprising him. The door was open, but no one had entered the room. Moving the same speed as before, the door began to swing the opposite direction, swinging until it clicked softly shut. Harry listened, trying to push away the fear in the pit of his stomach, as he heard someone moving towards his cell.  
  
"Harry!" he heard a familiar voice whisper. "Are you alright?"  
  
Harry's jaw dropped as he recognized Neville's voice. He watched in disbelief as the other boy appeared before him quickly, flinging Harry's invisibility cloak off of him.  
  
"Neville?" he managed to whisper in shock.  
  
"Yes, it's me," Neville replied quickly, rushing on before Harry could say anything else. "I'm glad I found you in time, we need to get you out of here, right now."  
  
Harry stared at Neville in disbelief, not sure if he should be relieved or worried.  
  
"How did you find me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.  
  
"Harry we don't have time right now, we have to get."  
  
"Neville!" Harry interrupted, sounding weak but determined. "There's no way I'm going anywhere with you until I'm sure it's really you. Voldemort said Saaneeraa was coming.she can control people.how do I know."  
  
"I swear to you it's really me, Harry," Neville interrupted, looking frantic. His eyes kept straying towards the door, nervously.  
  
"So you just knew I was here?" Harry asked, skeptically. "I don't even know where here is but somehow you." he trailed off, a thought suddenly dawning on him. Trying to keep any anger out of his voice, he met Neville's gaze before continuing.  
  
"Are you the defender?" he asked slowly.  
  
Neville shook his head quickly.  
  
"No I'm not, now we..."  
  
"Don't lie Neville," Harry cut him off crisply, he struggled to keep his voice steady as he went on. "Cho was murdered because Voldemort thought she was the defender."  
  
Neville's jaw dropped in horror and his skin paled noticeably.  
  
"Cho's.dead?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes wide with shock.  
  
Harry nodded miserably, unable to speak, his head sliding up and down the bars he was using for support.  
  
"Harry.I.I'm so."  
  
"Don't say you're sorry," Harry snapped, his voice thick with grief. "Tell me you're not the defender first.that you're not the one who." he trailed off, not wanting to say what he'd been thinking. Whoever the real defender was, Cho had died in their place, and as much as he hated to even think it.it should have been them, whoever they were.  
  
"I'm not the defender," Neville whispered, sadly.  
  
Harry nodded, exhaling a long, shaky breath, which seemed to snap Neville back to attention.  
  
"We have to get you out of here," he said, gazing around wildly, searching for a door or lock. "How did they even put you in there?" he asked, seeing no way to release his trapped friend.  
  
"Malfoy pressed his wand to this bar," Harry answered, tapping on the bar he was holding with his fingers. Neville stepped directly in front of it, examining it closely.  
  
"He just touched it? Anywhere in particular?" Neville asked, still searching.  
  
"Right around this area," Harry replied, sliding his hand to the spot he thought was correct. It was getting harder to breathe again, and he desperately wanted to sit down, relieve the tension in his muscles, but now was not the time for that.  
  
Watching carefully as Neville held his wand out to the bar in front of him, he waited, hoping it would work. The wand connected to the thick piece of metal, but nothing happened. He slid it up slightly, brought it down again, tried moving it to either side, but still no result. Bringing the wand to a stop back where he'd started, Neville glanced up at Harry.  
  
"He didn't do anything else? Say something maybe? Or move it in a specific." he stopped abruptly as the bars suddenly flickered. Catching his balance quickly, he lunged forward to help Harry, who had been using the bars for support, and couldn't stand on his own.  
  
"Are you alright?" Neville asked, breathlessly once he had an arm securely under Harry's and around his back. Harry barely nodded, choking down another wave of nausea that had threatened to push through. He swallowed hard and blinked several times, trying to clear his blurry vision.  
  
"C'mon," Neville said, directing Harry towards the invisibility cloak he'd left in a heap on the floor. "We have to get back upstairs before someone realizes you're gone."  
  
"Why upstairs?" Harry asked, puzzled, as Neville bent to pick up the cloak. Taking hold of it with one hand, he flung it over their heads, closing it around them.  
  
"It's the only way back to Hogwart's," Neville replied in a hushed voice. "Now we can't talk from here on out, so please let's just get back first before you ask anything more."  
  
Harry still felt uneasy, but nodded. He didn't want to be around when Voldemort found he was missing, and with Neville's help, began moving forward.  
  
Creeping along as silently as they could while sticking close to one another under the heavy cloak, they moved slowly up the stairs. Harry had to keep stopping, catching his breath, letting wave after wave of dizziness pass. He didn't know if it was the serum causing this or something else, but he prayed it would just end. Neville was careful to make sure they didn't step into anyone's path; they clung to walls and ducked into doorways anytime someone was near enough to possibly come into contact with them.  
  
After what felt like hours, they reached the room Harry recognized as the one he'd first appeared in, which was thankfully empty. He looked immediately to the spot where Cho had been, but her body was gone. Grief and anger threatened to overcome him as he thought of what would be done with her. They'd never give her a proper burial, and would probably dispose of her body in some horrible manner.  
  
"Are you alright?" Neville asked quietly, feeling Harry go tense.  
  
"They took her." he whispered fiercely, shaking with exhaustion and fury. He swallowed hard, forcing his eyes from the last spot Cho had ever stood, and turned back to Neville.  
  
"We need to get out of here," he said desperately. He couldn't bear to be there any longer.  
  
"We are," Neville assured him, nodding once. He pulled Harry to the back of the room, and raised his free hand. Just as Neville was about to reach through the cloak, the door in the room swung open with a bang. The two boys inhaled sharply, as they spun to look behind them. Harry's scar seared with pain, his vision blurred sickeningly, and he shut his eyes tightly. Fighting to remain conscious, he swayed on his feet, feeling Neville tighten his grip.  
  
"Where is she?" Voldemort screamed furiously as he stalked into the room, tailed by four death eaters.  
  
"We have contacted her my lord," Lucius spoke quietly. "She is already on her way, there was something she needed to take care of."  
  
"I don't want to hear excuses!" Voldemort snapped, slicing his hand violently through the air. The death eaters hung their heads in fear as he continued in a deadly quiet tone. "This evening has shown me exactly how worthless all of you are. After months of failed attempts, you've managed to bring me the wrong person, and Potter has obviously grown much stronger than I'd anticipated. The serum is our only chance of locating the true defender quickly and if Saaneeraa doesn't arrive soon," he went on, his voice escalating steadily, "Potter won't be the only one in a great deal of pain!"  
  
The dark wizard turned away from his servants, rage emanating from him like heat. He brought his hands up in front of him, tapping his long twisted fingers together with impatience.  
  
Harry and Neville watched, trying desperately to remain motionless, their breathing sounding to them as if it were intensely magnified. It was growing increasingly hot under the cloak; their sweat sticky against their skin, Harry could hear his heart beating in his chest, too fast to count.  
  
Voldemort stepped forward then, moving almost leisurely to the back of the room, closer and closer to where they stood. Harry held his breath, knowing it would do little to help, Voldemort had been able to sense him many times in the past, why should this be any different? He felt the pain increase in his scar and gritted his teeth against it, as the dark lord closed the gap between them, seeming to know exactly where he was going. He stopped, mere inches from where Harry and Neville were hiding, looking directly to the spot they stood, a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
Neither of them dared to move for fear Voldemort would hear them, when he raised his hand ever so slowly, and began to move it towards them, searching.  
  
Feeling trapped and helpless, Harry and Neville watched as Voldemort's hand crept closer. They exchanged a terrified glance, knowing there was nowhere to go from here. Neville would be no match for everyone in the room, and Harry had no way to help even if he hadn't been so weak.  
  
Voldemort reached up, his hand now directly on the side of Harry's face. But instead of stopping, he kept moving past them, brushing softly against the wall. He pressed his bony fingers firmly against the surface, before moving them around, reminding Harry of a crawling spider, feeling for something.  
  
The door burst open loudly, causing everyone, including Voldemort to turn and see what was going on.  
  
"My Lord!" Gridman said anxiously as he stepped confidently into the room. "I've just received an urgent message from Saaneeraa."  
  
"She's still at the school?" Voldemort asked, dangerously. Gridman gulped visibly, nodding.  
  
"Yes my master, she is. The only reason she has yet to leave is because of the commotion over the discovery that Potter is missing."  
  
"Well what does it matter now? She needs to get here before it's too."  
  
"They've already sent someone for him, My Lord," Gridman cut in. "Whoever it is they're already here!"  
  
Voldemort glared angrily at Gridman, as if all of this were his fault. He glanced again at the wall behind him, before turning to address the other death eaters.  
  
"Lucius," he snapped violently, bringing the man to attention. "Have the men split up. Find whomever they've sent, it could be the defender, and bring them to me. Then you will join me in the dungeon where we will keep watch on Potter." His expression grew darker still as he went on, "If he escapes this time, you will all regret it dearly."  
  
"Yes, My Lord," Lucius said very quietly, looking quite afraid, the color draining from his face. He turned to the others, barking out orders of where they were to investigate and who was to go with whom, before exiting the room to relay further orders. The death eaters scurried out hurriedly, anxious to be away from their master in his current state, off to begin their searching.  
  
Harry and Neville stayed where they were, and Harry could feel his knees beginning to buckle. He wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer, no matter how desperately Neville was clinging to him, trying to keep him upright. The strain of trying to control his breathing to stay quiet was agonizing, if the room wasn't empty soon, they were done for.  
  
Voldemort waited until the death eaters had all left, before turning once again to the wall. He brought up his hand, quicker this time, and touched the same spot he had a few moments earlier, looking somewhat irritated. Harry watched with growing anxiety, praying Voldemort would give up whatever it was he was searching for and just leave, when suddenly he dropped his arm to his side.  
  
A perplexed expression on his face, Voldemort took a step back, his eyes fixated on the spot he'd been touching. It was almost as if he were waiting for something to happen, but what it was Harry had no idea. When several minutes had passed and nothing had changed, the dark wizard turned on his heel. He stalked menacingly across the room and in one swift movement he'd flung the door open, passed through, and slammed it behind him, leaving Harry and Neville alone at last.  
  
Sweet relief flooded through Harry, and he let out a shaky breath as he looked to see Neville was feeling exactly what he was.  
  
"That was too close," Neville said, wiping sweat from his eyes. "I thought for sure he would find us."  
  
"Me too," Harry said quietly. "Why didn't he know I was here?"  
  
"Honestly, I don't know," Neville replied. "But I don't think it's a good idea to wait for him to try again. As soon as he sees you're not in that cell." he trailed off, shivering. "Well I don't want to be here."  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Neither do I.but.where's the way out you were talking about?" he asked, searching the room and seeing nothing. "How do we get to Hogwart's from here?"  
  
Neville turned them around and touched the spot that Voldemort had been so adamantly searching, moving his hand in a circular motion.  
  
"Like this," he replied, smirking. Harry watched in dull amazement as the wall began to soften, becoming gel-like. It oozed in and out of its own cracks, appearing alive, and Harry threw Neville a nervous glance.  
  
"Now what?" he whispered.  
  
Neville took a deep breath, meeting his gaze. Harry felt the grip around his middle tighten, before Neville stepped forward, pulling them both into the soft wall.  
  
Harry shut his eyes tightly, feeling the cool, sticky substance rub against his skin. Neville seemed to know exactly what to do as Harry felt himself being directed through the mess around them. They moved slowly but steadily for what felt like hours, when at long last, Harry felt cool, refreshing air fill his lungs. He took a deep breath, letting it out shakily, as the two of them stepped away from the wall they'd just come through. Harry looked around, nervously, unsure of exactly where they were. It was too dark to see their surroundings, when suddenly, he heard a new voice, one he recognized immediately.  
  
"Thank goodness you've found him!" Gazten said, breathlessly from very nearby. Harry looked in the direction of her voice and could barely make out her form, standing next to Neville.  
  
"It was very close though," Neville replied quickly. "We almost got caught."  
  
"Well the important thing is you didn't," Gazten said, with obvious relief. "Now let's get out of here, and tell the others you're both back."  
  
Harry listened to the brief discussion with confusion, but didn't protest as Neville began to pull him along again. He was too weak to argue even if he'd wanted to, and just hoped wherever they were going; it would be somewhere he recognized.  
  
Seeing a bright light at the end of what looked to be a tunnel, Harry suddenly realized they were in the blue bottle the creature had forced him into earlier. Neville helped him out, carefully, when they reached the mouth, and Harry couldn't help but stare at the enormous room.  
  
The dizzy sensation he had experienced earlier rose within him once again, as the room began to move. It quickly shrunk back to normal size as the three of them reached their usual heights.  
  
Hearing several voices cry his name in a mixture of worry and relief, Harry looked up to see Sirius' face swim into view.  
  
"Sirius," Harry croaked, his throat very sore. He let go of Neville who hesitantly released the hold on his waist, and began to move forward.  
  
Harry was only able to manage two steps, however, before his knees buckled fully and slammed to the hard wooden floor with a dull crack. Sirius was at his side in an instant, helping him up as he winced in pain.  
  
"Take it easy, I've got you," he whispered to his godson, steering him to a nearby chair. Harry slumped into it gratefully, slouching against the soft cushions. He noticed then, gazing around the room, there were quite a few people there with him. Dumbledore was looking at him, a very grave expression on his face. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were just behind him, seeming both relieved and distraught at the same time. Remus had come up beside Sirius to have a better look at Harry, and Marzia was hovering near the door, keeping watch.  
  
"What happened to him?" Sirius asked apprehensively, turning on Neville with a tense expression. "Why is he so weak?"  
  
"He was like that when I found him," Neville answered quietly, keeping his eyes on the floor.  
  
"I stopped it." Harry spoke up, drawing everyone's rapt attention. He was trying to tell them, unable to get the words out. "The curse.he tried to." A violent coughing fit cut him off abruptly, and Harry doubled over in the chair, his hand covering his mouth, his throat burning in agony. As the fit subsided, his breathing became sharp and irregular. He pulled his shaking hand away from his mouth to see it was spattered in blood, and looked fearfully around the room. What was happening to him?  
  
"Serum." he whispered roughly, turning back to Sirius.  
  
"What?" Gazten asked, sharply, her eyes wide. "They gave you the serum?"  
  
Harry nodded weakly, his eyelids feeling suddenly heavy.  
  
"We have to get it out of him," she said quickly, crossing the room to his chair.  
  
"I think first we should." Sirius began.  
  
"No!" Gazten cut him off abruptly. "There's no time to discuss this Sirius. It has to be now."  
  
"Let's get him downstairs," Dumbledore spoke finally, nodding at Gazten, ignoring Sirius' stunned expression.  
  
Harry had the vague sensation of being lifted into the air, distantly realizing he was being placed on a stretcher. He shut his eyes tightly to block out the moving walls as they passed quickly through the hallways, not really hearing any conversation taking place around them. He could hear Dumbledore and Sirius's voices, and had the impression they were fighting about something, but couldn't make any of it out.  
  
He felt his breathing grow shallower still, as the stretcher moved on steadily. They burst through the doors of the hospital wing and the harshly bright lights penetrated right through to his brain. He let out a small cry, reaching out a hand for anyone, trying to tell them something was wrong, before finally giving in, and letting the darkness take him.  
  
Harry had no idea how much time had passed, but when he finally regained consciousness, his eyes fluttered open slowly. He could tell by the overwhelming medicinal scent in the air that he was still in the hospital wing, but was unable to see clearly and attempted to push himself up.  
  
"Hey there, don't do that kiddo," a friendly voice from next to him spoke.  
  
"Who's there?" Harry asked fearfully, not recognizing who it was, wishing he had his glasses. He could barely make out the shape of a man in the chair beside him.  
  
"It's alright Harry," Dumbledore's voice came through reassuringly from the opposite side of the bed. "Please just try to relax, you've been through a most traumatizing experience today, and you cannot push yourself yet."  
  
Harry looked in the direction the headmaster's voice had come from and nodded.  
  
"Can." he began, hesitantly. "Do you know where my glasses are?"  
  
Dumbledore reached forward and took hold of one of Harry's hands, placing the glasses in them. Harry fumbled with them for a moment, his hands still a bit shaky from what he'd just been through, before bringing them up to his face, and slipping them on.  
  
Blinking a few times as his vision came into focus; he looked over to see who the unknown voice belonged to.  
  
"Hello Harry," the stranger said kindly.  
  
"Hello," Harry replied warily. The man had to be in his late thirties, with light brown hair and brown eyes. He looked to be about average height, though it was hard to tell while he was sitting down. "Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"My name is Cole," the man replied gently. "I'm a friend of Allison's."  
  
"Are you from Faerun?" Harry asked. Cole nodded.  
  
"Yes, I'm her uncle, actually."  
  
"Why are you here?" Harry asked almost before the man had stopped speaking.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore cut in, firmly. "Calm down, please. It would be a very bad idea for you to get yourself worked up right now, especially when there is no reason for it."  
  
Harry looked at the headmaster and nodded. With an almost inaudible sigh, he laid back against the pillows, realizing how much better he felt for the first time.  
  
"What happened to me?" he asked, looking back at Dumbledore. "What was the serum for?"  
  
The headmaster returned Harry's stare evenly, looking quite worn down and tired.  
  
"Everything will be explained to you tonight Harry," he said sincerely, "I promise you that. We are only waiting for the others to return, and then we will begin."  
  
Harry looked down at his hands, feeling a knot of dread building in the pit of his stomach. He kept his head lowered as he asked his next question.  
  
"Do you know about."he stopped momentarily, clearing his throat. "About Cho?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded sadly.  
  
"Mr. Longbottom explained to us what you'd told him. And I'm very sorry to ask this of you, but in a few moments, we will need you to tell us what happened."  
  
Harry swallowed hard, blinking back the tears threatening to spill over. How would he ever manage reliving this horrible night? He didn't even want to think about it.  
  
He began to look around the room, trying to keep his eyes averted from either of the two men, wanting anything to distract him, when he happened to notice another occupied bed in the room. It took just a few seconds for Harry to recognize the sleeping patient and he looked to Dumbledore, confused.  
  
"What happened to Malfoy? Why is he here?"  
  
Dumbledore's eyes strayed in the direction of Draco's bed, before he met Harry's gaze.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy fell ill.just a short while ago."  
  
"He fell ill?" Harry asked. "Then why.not to sound mean.but.why is he in here? I mean I know he should be in the hospital wing but if we're going to talk about."  
  
"I know what you're asking Mr. Potter. Why would we allow Malfoy to possibly overhear what we will be saying?"  
  
Harry nodded, slowly, watching the headmaster carefully.  
  
"I think perhaps we should start," Cole spoke up, looking at Dumbledore, "by telling him this."  
  
"Telling me what?" Harry asked, looking back and forth between the two men.  
  
Dumbledore sighed, nodding once.  
  
"I'm sure by now Harry, that you've heard about someone called the defender?"  
  
Harry felt anger simmer within him. Whoever it was, Cho had died for him.and when he found out who it was.  
  
"Yes," he said through clenched teeth. "What about him?"  
  
"Well Mr. Potter, isn't it obvious?" Cole asked, almost cheerfully. "Draco Malfoy is the defender."  
  
Harry felt his heart literally skip a beat. He gaped at Cole, wide- eyed and slack-jawed, unable, not wanting, to believe what he'd just heard.  
  
"Malfoy." he began, struggling to keep his voice steady. "Malfoy is the defender? Please.please tell me you're joking," he said, feeling sick all over again.  
  
"Joking?" Cole's smile vanished as he became quite solemn. "About this? Heavens no, my boy.this is a most serious matter!"  
  
Harry raised his hands, massaging his temples and trying not to concentrate on the large, throbbing headache pounding against his skull.  
  
"What exactly is he the defender of?" he asked, not looking up, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.  
  
"Well you, of course," Cole smiled. "You have a defender and a guardian, both born on."  
  
"Cole," Dumbledore spoke abruptly, causing the other man to stop mid- sentence. He looked to the headmaster, inquisitively.  
  
"Harry knows nothing of the defender or the guardian. I think it would be best to explain things a bit more." he paused, searching for a word, "delicately."  
  
Cole seemed to consider this for a moment, before speaking.  
  
"Whatever you think is best, Albus."  
  
"I don't care how you explain it just please someone tell me what's going on!" Harry spoke up, sounding almost desperate.  
  
The three of them looked up suddenly as the door to the room swung open quietly. Gazten, Sirius, Marzia and Remus entered the room, heading immediately for Harry's bed.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked as he sat beside his godson on the bed, embracing him tightly. His face was drawn in a mixture of stress and concern.  
  
Everything that had happened in the last few hours had been building up steadily within Harry, and he was tempted to let it all go right there. He screwed up his face against the anguish threatening to spill over, and returned his godfather's hug fiercely. He wasn't going to let himself appear any weaker than he already was.  
  
"I've been better," Harry said in a strained voice as the two pulled away from each other. There was no trace of humor whatsoever in his voice as he spoke.  
  
"I'm so sorry," Sirius replied shakily, his own eyes glistening as if he were ready to cry. "That never should have happened to you. I should have been more careful."  
  
Harry looked away, unable to meet his godfather's gaze any longer. He shrugged lightly before whispering, sadly.  
  
"Well at least I'm still alive.though I shouldn't be. Not at all."  
  
He felt his godfather's hands grip his arms, and slowly brought his eyes back up.  
  
"Don't ever say that," Sirius whispered, hoarsely, tears rolling softly down his cheeks. "You are the most important thing in my life," he went on, giving Harry a slight shake to emphasize his words, "and I never want to come this close to losing you again."  
  
Harry felt a rush of happiness for a brief moment, and smiled weakly at his godfather.  
  
"I love you," Sirius continued, looking upon his godson with pride. "No matter what happens please always remember that."  
  
"I know that Sirius," Harry said, his expression a mixture of joy and sorrow. "And I didn't mean.well.I." he trailed off, unable to find the words. Shaking his head and looking down, he let out a shaky sigh.  
  
"Cho is dead," he said, his voice hollow. "I watched her die. She.she looked at me.right before." he broke off, his voice catching in his throat. Seeing it all over again, replaying in his mind. It was just too much.  
  
"Shhh," Sirius whispered, pulling Harry again into a warm, fatherly embrace. Harry welcomed the feeling and laid his head against Sirius' shoulder. He kept his eyes shut wishing for a way out of this, wanting to take back the last few hours and change them. However, he knew that was impossible, and with a heart that felt like led, he pulled away from his godfather.  
  
"I cannot begin to tell you," Dumbledore spoke up gravely from his seat, "how sorry I am for all that's happened. You have been through more pain in your life than anyone deserves, and you have come through it each time admirably. I can only pray that this is the last time we will need to have one of these discussions, though I fear it will not be."  
  
Harry nodded numbly, knowing what was coming next.  
  
"Do we really need him to tell us now?" Sirius whispered, pleadingly. "He shouldn't have to be put through any more."  
  
"No Sirius, it's alright," Harry spoke up quietly, trying to sound strong and feeling anything but. "I'll tell you all what happened," he went on, turning to look pointedly at Dumbledore. "And then you tell me what's really going on."  
  
Harry began by telling about the blue bottle. He explained what he and Ron had done with it after Sirius and Marzia had left on Christmas morning, and therefore why it was such a surprise to see it when he'd woken in the middle of the night. He spoke quickly, with little emotion in his voice, trying, needing, to get everything out. He rushed through the incident with what Voldemort had called a bottle imp, that had come out of the bottle and slit his hand, which he only assumed had been what had caused him to shrink. Continuing on, he told how the bottle imp had forced him into the bottle and made him keep still, holding a knife to his throat, until finally everything around him went black and he was pushed him forward, where he found himself back to normal size, but in a room surrounded by death eaters, and directly in front of Voldemort.  
  
Pausing a moment, looking at Dumbledore as he spoke, he went on to tell about Cho being dragged into the room and Voldemort thinking she was the defender. Harry explained how he tried to convince Voldemort she wasn't, and even tried to tell him about Lunis, but that the dark wizard had merely laughed at him, saying Harry never had Lunis to begin with.  
  
When he reached the part where Cho had been killed, no, murdered, his voice began to hitch. Tears welled up in his eyes and he clamped them shut tightly, trying to choke down the lump in his throat. He was grateful for his godfather's comforting grip on his shoulder, and felt someone else sit on the bed beside him.  
  
"You don't have to explain what you saw happen to Cho, Harry," Remus' voice came to him gently. "Not if you don't want to, no one expects you to relive the pain involved in that memory."  
  
Harry nodded, the knot that had formed in his stomach from thinking about it easing slightly. He opened his eyes, which he knew were red, he could feel the dampness against the skin underneath them, and wiped at it furiously. Sniffling quietly, he cleared his throat and continued with his story.  
  
No one interrupted as he told of what happened when Voldemort's curse didn't hit him, or when he explained how he thought he destroyed it, but it left him feeling exhausted. He spoke quicker as he rushed through being brought downstairs and into a dungeon, where Lucius and Gridman forced him to take the serum, before leaving him there. He finished by telling how Neville suddenly appeared, with his invisibility cloak, and that is where Dumbledore stopped him.  
  
"Thank you Harry," the headmaster spoke calmly. "Neville has already told us the rest."  
  
Harry nodded, somewhat relieved to not have to explain any more, but still heavily confused as to what was really going on. He sat back against the headboard, glancing around the room. Sirius and Remus were looking sadly down at him, Gazten and Cole seemed somber, and Marzia's expression was unreadable. Finally, he turned away from them and looked expectantly at Dumbledore.  
  
"I can only imagine," Dumbledore began, looking seriously at Harry, "the number of questions you have right now. I don't know that I have all the answers, but I may have a great many of them."  
  
Harry didn't reply, just met the headmaster's gaze evenly, waiting.  
  
"I'm going to begin," Dumbledore went on, "with Lunis. Please try to listen to all that I will tell you before asking any questions."  
  
"Okay," Harry said, noncommittally, nodding.  
  
Dumbledore took a deep breath, looking uncharacteristically worn out, before he spoke again.  
  
"I have not been entirely honest with you, Harry. Voldemort was quite correct when he told you he'd taken Lunis from James all those years ago. You were never in possession of it."  
  
"Then how did I.?" Harry began to cut in, trailing off as he saw Dumbledore's strained expression.  
  
"I have my reasons," the headmaster went on, "for not telling you the truth. However, tonight it is time you were told everything."  
  
Looking across the room to where Gazten stood next to Cole, Dumbledore nodded, before turning back to Harry, who was staring back at him in stunned disbelief.  
  
"You are not an average wizard Harry. You were born with powers far greater than most witches or wizards can ever hope to achieve in their lifetime. Your powers exceed both mine and Voldemort's."  
  
"How can that be?" Harry asked, utterly stunned  
  
"You're a Psion Harry," Cole spoke up from his seat.  
  
Harry spun to look at this man he barely knew, very puzzled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"A Psion," Dumbledore repeated. "You have the unique ability to do magic without the use of a wand. Many other magic using creatures can do it, but humans have always required a wand"  
  
"But." Harry stammered. "But how? Were my parents Psions too? What type of magic? I've barely done any magic without a wand and I certainly don't remember how I did it. Can I control it? And what about."  
  
"Harry, hold on," Remus spoke up, cutting him off. "I know this is a lot to handle, but everything will be explained, you just have to be patient while it's told."  
  
"You knew about this?" Harry asked, incredulously, staring from Remus to Sirius and back again.  
  
"We only just found out earlier tonight," Sirius replied, somewhat sheepishly. "Professor Dumbledore explained it to us ahead of time so we would be able to help with your questions, and not be interrupting the explanation with our own."  
  
Harry swallowed hard, his headache pounding harshly, making everything much harder to take.  
  
"What exactly." he began in a quiet tone, " is a Psion?"  
  
"You are a Psion," Cole replied calmly. "I think your question should be, what is psionics. The answer, simply put, is the art of tapping the mind's potential. You have been blessed with an innate ability that enables you to use mental power in order to achieve goals or perform tasks. Your mind, Harry, is an infinite metaphorical plane, on which all things are possible."  
  
"I don't." Harry began, swallowing hard, he cleared his throat. "I think there's been a mistake. I have barely ever been able to make things happen without a wand, how could what your telling me be the truth if."  
  
"You stopped that curse earlier, didn't you?" Cole interrupted. "You told us yourself, it stopped right in front of you and then you destroyed it."  
  
"But it hurt," Harry replied, refusing to believe what he was hearing. "I could barely stand after I'd done it. Is that what's going to happen every time? I'll stick with my wand, thank you very much."  
  
A sly smile crossed Cole's face as he looked at Harry's stubborn expression.  
  
"No, that will not happen every time. We haven't told you everything yet."  
  
"There are probably several reasons that you felt pain and exhaustion once you had used your powers," Dumbledore began speaking again. "You are unaccustomed to controlling them, the curse that you stopped is so powerful it drained much of your energy, and you don't yet have possession of the crystals."  
  
"What crystals?" Harry asked, his head spinning from the overwhelming amount of new knowledge.  
  
"Psicrystals," Cole picked up the explanation, "are what you will use to channel your power, sending it through them. You have fourteen total, which we will explain more about when we have them."  
  
"Why don't we have them?" Harry asked.  
  
"Your parents kept them in a trunk at their house," Dumbledore spoke, "when we cleared out what was left intact after you'd been found and brought to your aunt and uncle, we sent your few possessions to them."  
  
"But.I never saw them.and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.well they're as good as sold if you gave it to them." Harry said, nervously.  
  
"No, they are still there," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "I spoke with your relatives personally on that matter and while I'm sure they never would have shown them to you.there is no chance they disposed of them."  
  
Harry looked uncertainly at the headmaster, but didn't argue, even though he still believed there to be little chance of the Dursley's keeping anything magical in their house.  
  
"So I use the psicrystals to.to what again?" Harry asked.  
  
"To channel your energy," Cole answered. "When we have them here you will see what I mean. You will learn from them, and they will do as you ask."  
  
"Learn from them?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes," Cole replied. "No one is qualified to instruct a Psion in the ways of psionics, they must learn from another Psion, which at this time there is none, or their psicrystals."  
  
"Wait," Harry said abruptly. "There is none? You mean I'm the only Psion right now? How often are Psions born? Or do you do something else to become one? And when you say I'll learn from the psicrystals.well, how?"  
  
"You are currently the only living Psion," Cole said gently. There is always one in existence at any given time, sometimes there are more, but each time a Psion dies a new one is born." He paused, smirking as he continued, "it is merely coincidence that you were born on such a day."  
  
"Well I surely couldn't have been the only person born that day," Harry said matter-of-factly. "Why did I get this.power?"  
  
"No one knows how the next Psion born is chosen, Harry," Dumbledore spoke. "We only know that you were born as one. Your parents knew it too, and they were prepared to explain to you what you are, just as we are now."  
  
Lily and James first came to me regarding your powers when you were merely two weeks of age," Cole said, "and I gave them the psicrystals, to keep safe, until you were ready."  
  
"But.they came to you?" Harry asked, thinking this man couldn't be more than ten years older than his parents were.  
  
"I don't look old enough, right?" Cole asked, cheerfully. "I'll tell you a secret Mr. Potter. I'm much older than I look.by about five thousand years."  
  
Harry felt his jaw drop as he stared at Cole.  
  
"How.why.er.who are you?" he stammered.  
  
"I'm Allison's uncle, just as I told you, but in actuality I'm more of a distant relative. I have the distinct pleasure of assisting new Psions.such as yourself. I can only die when there are no more Psions in existence."  
  
"Well if one is always born, when the last one dies.then.you can never die, right?" Harry asked.  
  
"In a perfect world, yes," Cole replied. "However, if Voldemort takes your powers, the next Psion cannot be born as such.and I will cease to exist."  
  
A horrified expression crossed Harry's face and Cole went on quickly.  
  
"Don't think about that now. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen.we won't let it."  
  
Harry nodded, feeling very uneasy that another life was resting in his hands, but tried not to show his feelings.  
  
"Now," Cole went on, "we've strayed from the matter at hand. With each Psion born, there are always two more. A guardian, and a defender."  
  
Harry glanced again at Malfoy, who was still sleeping soundly, feeling only numb disbelief.  
  
"Yes, Draco Malfoy really is your defender," Cole said, seeming to read his mind. "And Neville Longbottom is your guardian."  
  
"Why them?" Harry asked, giving Cole a penetrating stare. "Do they both know, have you told them any of this?"  
  
Cole nodded.  
  
"I sent Allison here ahead of myself so she could prepare Neville. We understand he was something of a slow learner when it came to magic, and I needed him to be more prepared for when I arrived. In doing such, however, he had to be told about all of this before you were. As the defender and guardian, they are able to use Faerunian magic easier than normal wizards that try to learn it. But Neville needed time to adjust to his new abilities, as I'm sure will Draco."  
  
"Well, what exactly are their abilities?" Harry asked.  
  
Cole cleared his throat softly, before speaking.  
  
"The guardian and the defender, both born to protect you from harm. To put it simply, they work together to keep you safe. Now as of yet Mr. Malfoy is still quite unaware of his responsibilities, but he will be told when he's feeling better."  
  
Harry looked towards Draco's bed again, suspicion creeping up inside him.  
  
"When exactly did he fall ill?" he asked, turning to face Dumbledore.  
  
"Earlier this evening," the headmaster replied firmly. "Just a short while before Neville brought you back."  
  
"So, about the time I was given the serum?" Harry suggested.  
  
Cole nodded.  
  
"That's exactly when, kiddo. If you're in pain, he's gonna know it. One of his less desirable powers, without a doubt, but very useful in helping you."  
  
"How do you figure?" Harry asked confused. "If both of us are in so much pain that neither of us can."  
  
"You're not seeing the bigger picture," Cole interrupted. "I said the defender and guardian are supposed to work together. Now the defender will feel your pain, and the guardian will find you. That is how they differ. The defender can tell the guardian when you're in trouble and the guardian has the ability to hone in on your exact spot. That is how Neville found you during the incident with Mr. Weasley and his older brother. That is how he found you earlier this evening. Your friends let him use your invisibility cloak, as we had no way for him to know who would be there when he arrived. But other than that, it was all his powers doing the work. As Draco is taught about his own abilities, he will be shown how to control them so he is still able to help defend you in battle."  
  
"I think we're going to have a hard time convincing him," Harry said skeptically. "Believe me Malfoy is going to fight tooth and nail on this one.probably run to his dad on it too."  
  
"Not likely," Cole said with a smirk. "His father is on the side of the wizard that wants him dead. He would have to have no brains at all to figure out what will happen to him if he tells."  
  
Harry met Cole's gaze evenly, before opening his mouth to speak.  
  
"Whether he tells Lucius or not, I still don't believe he's going to go along with this willingly. He hates me, more than anyone else here, and I can't say I feel any better towards him."  
  
"He may hate you," Cole spoke evenly, "but when he is shown his true abilities, he won't be able to go against them. The pain he felt tonight was from lack of knowledge to what was happening to him, but if he fights it after he knows.and doesn't try to help you when you're in trouble.the pain will only increase. It won't be long before he does anything to make it stop.even if that means helping someone he hates."  
  
"If you say so," Harry shrugged, still not believing what Cole was saying. He looked upon Draco's form, remembering back to the beginning of the year. He had helped him with getting a very injured Snape to the hospital wing, and prior to that had almost seemed concerned, when he'd asked Harry how he'd escaped from Voldemort at the end of the previous school year.  
  
"So you have to kill the defender to kill the Psion?" Harry asked through clenched teeth. He was filled with a sudden surge of anger as he spoke. Cho never should have been killed in place of Malfoy.never.  
  
"Yes," Cole replied simply.  
  
"What about the guardian? Do you have to kill them as well?" Harry asked, tightly.  
  
"No, the guardian doesn't hold that particular connection with the Psion."  
  
"Why is it," Harry began, thinking of a new question, "that we are all only experiencing and finding out about these powers now? Why haven't we ever dealt with them before now?" 


	16. Chapter 16

"You're finding out about them now because now it is most necessary for you to learn them," Dumbledore replied gravely. "You, Draco and Neville are all wizards, just like any other student at this school. You are able to learn magic and cast spells the same as your classmates, and until recently, you've not had much reason to use your other powers."  
  
"But.Voldemort regained his power when I was fourteen," Harry spoke quietly. "Wouldn't that have been a good time to tell me about all of this?"  
  
"You would not have been able to use your powers properly," Cole spoke up. "Since you were never shown or told about any of this, your abilities lay dormant within you, only able to be awakened one of two ways. A life threatening situation is one way, it's the one that did it for you in fact, at the beginning of the school year when that death eater attacked you."  
  
"Well.what about all the other times I've gone up against Voldemort? Why would nothing happen then?"  
  
"The first day of school this year was the first time since you were a baby that you were hit with the Avada Kedavra. When he used the curse, that by all rights and purposes should have taken your life, your psionic abilities were awoken, and fought to keep you alive. It was the first time they were truly needed in such a situation as you'd managed to escape any previous attempts on your life without coming in contact with that curse. No matter what is done to you, you cannot be killed, so long as your defender is still alive, your powers will not allow you to die."  
  
Harry opened his mouth to speak but Cole held up a hand.  
  
"The other way, before you ask anything else, that you could gain the use of your abilities, would be from your psicrystals, which is what we had originally intended on doing this year until you were attacked, changing our plans. Your powers revealed themselves before I could manage to come here, which is why your headmaster didn't tell you about this sooner. I had wanted to bring you, Neville and Draco together and explain it to all of you at once, but it didn't quite work out that way, unfortunately. I asked him to wait until I'd arrived to tell you, something he was very much against, but agreed nonetheless. It was also my idea to tell you the reason you'd survived had been Lunis."  
  
"But I don't understand why." Harry said, failing to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "Why go through all the trouble to explain Lunis to me, when I never had possession of it at all?"  
  
"I wanted to wait until we had your crystals to tell you anything at all," Cole replied. "It would make all of this much easier for you to see and understand if you had them. But due to tonight's unfortunate chain of events.we had to explain this to you before we could get them here."  
  
"So you didn't tell me because you wanted the crystals first. And because I hadn't ever used my powers they stayed 'dormant' as you put it, until I was hit with that curse by Gridman.but I would have been able to gain control of them just as quickly by the crystals.have I got all that?" Harry asked.  
  
Cole nodded, smiling gently, but Harry did not return the sentiment.  
  
"Neville is the guardian, and he can find me anywhere; Draco's the defender, and if I'm in pain then so is he.unless he does something to help."  
  
"Correct," Cole said, as Harry continued.  
  
"How do they get control of their powers then? Do they need crystals too?"  
  
"Some things they will learn can be taught by Allison and myself," Cole said evenly. "Their inborn abilities that connect the three of you, however, were stirred when your own powers reawakened, and those cannot be shown to them. Neville found you without anyone else's help, and until the day he dies will always be able to do so. Draco, when he is made aware of his powers, will know what has to be done when he feels you are in trouble. As I said earlier, if he decides to try and fight the feeling, it will only hurt him more. But if he uses his powers, lets them flow, they will work to his advantage, allowing him to use the same magic you saw Neville use to defend you and your friend Ron against Percy."  
  
"So you kept this from us because you didn't think we were ready to use our powers, and now that Voldemort's back you've decided it's time?" Harry asked.  
  
"To put it simply, yes," Cole replied.  
  
"Well where were you over two years ago, when he first came back?" Harry asked, exasperated.  
  
"That, I'm afraid, is partially my doing," Dumbledore spoke quietly. "When your parents were killed, Harry, I wanted you to be raised as far away from the wizarding world as possible. I knew the response you would receive no matter where you went, and did not want you to grow up in the midst of all that. When it was time for you to attend Hogwart's, while you were still quite unprepared for what awaited you, you were old enough to understand it better. Cole contacted me the summer you turned eleven, knowing you would finally be told of at least some of your powers. He needed to know if his presence would be required to explain your abilities outside of your wizarding ones. However, I thought it best to take things one step at a time. So when you'd completed your first year here and seemed to be adjusting quite well, I told him I would rather you not learn of your other powers for some time, and that I would contact him, in the event we needed him."  
  
"So you waited until now?" Harry asked, somewhat confused.  
  
The smallest of grins crossed Dumbledore's lips as he went on.  
  
"I sent Hagrid to find Cole at the close of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry. He was to find Cole and tell him of what had happened, so you could finally be shown your birthright. But apparently Cole has a much easier time finding us, then anyone else has at finding him."  
  
"You mean.that entire time Hagrid was gone." Harry began.  
  
"Two years Harry. Two years to find the one person who would be able to help you, your defender and your guardian, realize your true powers."  
  
"Then why did you send Professor Gazten instead of."  
  
"Allison, Harry. You can call her Allison," Cole interrupted.  
  
Harry nodded, hesitantly.  
  
"Why send Allison then.instead of just coming yourself?"  
  
"As I told you earlier, I sent her to help Neville. Once your powers were awakened, we dropped our original plan to explain it to all three of you at once. We knew someone was after you, and as I was unable to make the journey here until quite recently, I had Allison start by teaching Neville about his powers. We wanted someone who could help you in the event you got into trouble, and due to your rivalry with Draco, we began with Neville."  
  
"Does Lucius know?" Harry asked suddenly, "You said my parents knew about me.and well.I don't know if Neville's parents ever knew about him, but what about Lucius? And if he does then why would he."  
  
"He does not know," Cole interrupted. "Neville's parents did not know and neither do Draco's. Your parents still did not know who your guardian and defender were at the time of their death."  
  
"Why not?" Harry asked.  
  
"There are certain things that are kept undisclosed even to the Psion until such a time comes when they need to know. I followed the signs from the last Psion, which led me to you. You, as I said, are currently the only one in existence. Your parents were quite startled to say the least, and I believe the only person they ever told, was Albus."  
  
Harry glanced again over at the headmaster, feeling hurt and confused.even betrayed. Far too much had been kept from him, and the reasons he was being given just didn't seem good enough. He wanted to talk to him about it, but at the same time had no desire to speak to him at this moment. But something else was still bothering him, and he couldn't wait any longer to find out. Looking back and forth from the headmaster to Cole, Harry cleared his throat.  
  
"Can one of you tell me." he began evenly, "why Voldemort thought Cho was the defender?"  
  
Dumbledore sighed heavily, looking sadly at Harry before he spoke.  
  
"I honestly do not know Voldemort's reasons for suspecting Cho to be the true defender. All I can tell you is that, from the time he was a young child, just attending school, until the time he graduated, Tom Riddle was always incredibly bright. However, one trait he could never seem to overcome was his want to have the answer so desperately, that he sometimes would not get all of the information necessary. Take for example, when he tried to use Professor Quirrell at the end of your first year at Hogwart's, to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. He was unprepared for all the obstacles that awaited him, and had no way of obtaining the stone from the Mirror of Erised when he'd reached it, as he didn't know how."  
  
Harry looked skeptically at Dumbledore, who went on.  
  
"Another example would be when he had Wormtail take your blood to help regain his body, without stopping to realize exactly what the consequences would be. It was almost fatal for him."  
  
"Yes but he seemed to know a lot about this," Harry said, urgently. "He knows about my being a Psion apparently.and he knows I have a defender, and probably about the guardian too. My guess is he just knows the defender is the one he'd have to kill to get to me, which is why he, and everyone else who's asked, never mentioned the guardian."  
  
"That's true, he does know. He has known since you were very young in fact, which is why he went after you when you were a baby. He assumed that you would be easier to destroy and would be able to take your powers. At that time, he never bothered to find out about the defender or guardian, and that was partially the reason for his failure."  
  
"But how did he know to begin with?" Harry asked.  
  
"Voldemort has been allies with the entities for many years Harry. They had been assisting him in finding out everything they could about psionics, and he knew that he could not ever hope to learn that power. If you are not born a Psion, the only way to achieve that power is to kill one. They tried to track down the last Psion before you, but all attempts failed. It is nearly impossible to hide anything from a Psion, and he knew of their plans against him long before they were implemented. However, when he passed on, you became his new target. Being entirely untrained and vulnerable, he figured you for an easy target, again, not bothering to find out everything he needed to know before going for you."  
  
Harry was only half-listening to what the headmaster was telling him. Cho was dead for no other reason then Voldemort was so anxious to steal his powers, he hadn't bothered to discover the true defender's identity. Lying back against the pillows, he felt the grief that he'd been keeping at bay the entire night threatening to consume him once again, and shut his eyes tightly.  
  
"Can't we stop this now Albus?" Sirius spoke finally, after remaining silent for the whole of the discussion. "He's been through too much.please."  
  
"We need to discuss the crystals," Cole interrupted. "He has to retrieve them, and we need to."  
  
"I realize that," Sirius cut him off. "Just please, let's let him rest for now. We can talk about the crystals later, and figure out when would be best to go for them."  
  
The two men looked at the headmaster, who nodded once.  
  
"I agree, this is enough for now," he spoke quietly. "But I would like to speak with Harry alone for just a few minutes."  
  
Harry stifled the urge to groan. He wanted very badly right now to be done with this discussion that was making his head spin, and left alone.  
  
Sirius looked at the headmaster pointedly, obviously thinking it would be best to do exactly as Harry was hoping, but Dumbledore returned his gaze evenly. Finally, Sirius seemed to give in, and turned to face Harry once more.  
  
"I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" he asked, trying to smile for his godson. He brought his hand up and pushed aside a few loose strands of hair hanging down into Harry's face, before pulling back and standing up. Harry nodded, faintly. He barely heard Remus tell him good-bye as well, and watched as the others left the room.  
  
"I'm so sorry for keeping this from you, Harry" Dumbledore spoke immediately as the door swung shut, in an utterly solemn tone. "I never intended to wait this long."  
  
"But you did," Harry shot out, bitterly. Deep inside, he was horrified with himself for taking such a tone with Dumbledore. The one he'd always trusted more than almost anyone else for all his years at Hogwart's, but he couldn't help it, his pain and grief were far too great.  
  
"Yes, I did," Dumbledore spoke quietly. "And I've already explained to you why, and what my feelings were about keeping it such a secret."  
  
Harry simply stared at him, remaining silent.  
  
"I understand that you're mad at me right now," the headmaster continued. "But I did what I believed to be best."  
  
"Cho is dead because I didn't know any of this," Harry said, his voice hollow. "I would have told Voldemort everything.everything.if it would have saved her. And now she's dead." he trailed off, the tears dangerously close to spilling forth.  
  
"Cho is not dead because of you," Dumbledore said firmly. "You must stop blaming yourself for things that could not have been prevented. If you had known everything we've told you tonight before what happened last night, I very much doubt Voldemort would have let Cho live either way. There was nothing you could have done to stop it."  
  
"I stopped it from hitting me, didn't I?" Harry asked hoarsely. "Why didn't it happen for her too? I wanted it just as badly.I just.I." he trailed off, a lump rising in his throat. He choked it down; unable to meet the headmaster's gaze, and kept his eyes firmly on his hands.  
  
"Please don't keep everything inside Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "You hold too much in, and it will only make your pain worse."  
  
Harry didn't answer the headmaster. He nodded softly, wishing very badly to be left alone.  
  
"I will go now," Dumbledore spoke, almost as if reading his mind. "Please get some rest," he said, pausing before saying in a bit firmer tone, "and don't blame yourself."  
  
Harry turned on his side, not even bothering to say goodnight as the headmaster stood to leave. He closed his eyes against the misery welling up inside, wishing it to end.  
  
Madam Pomfrey came over almost immediately, and Harry knew Dumbledore had sent her to him, and had a sleeping potion ready. He took it gratefully, wanting nothing more than to not have to think about anything that had just happened. His eyelids were already drooping as he laid his head against the soft pillow, and within seconds he had fallen into a mercifully dreamless sleep.  
  
Harry opened his eyes after a long, restful sleep. The area of the hospital wing that he was in was still dark, and he slowly pushed himself up. Reaching out to either side of him, he found his glasses on the bedside table, and slipped them on.  
  
"Harry? Are you up?" he heard a groggy voice ask.  
  
"Yes Neville," Harry replied not particularly glad to see him, but not upset either. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you were alright," Neville answered, stretching. It was obvious he'd fallen asleep in his chair. "Sirius has been in and out the entire night, in between patrolling, he should be back soon."  
  
Harry just nodded in response, not sure what else to say.  
  
"So." Neville pressed on, "they told you, right? About.your powers?"  
  
"Yes," Harry snickered, bitterly. "Lot of good it does me now though. Why they couldn't just tell me when Allison was showing you."  
  
"Cole wanted to be here when you were told," Neville cut in, apologetically. "And.I needed.more help."  
  
"Well you seemed to have everything under control on Halloween," Harry pointed out. "You seem to have learned this faster than any lesson we've ever been shown in class."  
  
"Allison said it's because I was born as a guardian."  
  
"You were also born as a wizard," Harry retorted. "So was I."  
  
"But wizards and witches can have children that can't do magic," Neville began, "just as muggles can have children that can.but a guardian, just as a defender and a Psion, is chosen to be one without getting the power from a relative who was one before them. You are born as one and the powers are always strong within you. But just like you, I wasn't told about anything until recently.and never knew how to use them until then."  
  
Harry watched Neville as he spoke. The small, scared boy he'd known now seemed ages older, and wiser. His eyes were full of fear, though, and Harry had the feeling Neville still knew a lot more than he did.  
  
"So what did you do then," Harry began, curiously, "when Allison first told you who you are?"  
  
"I didn't believe her," Neville grinned, shrugging.  
  
"What did she do to convince you?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, because I'm usually so.slow.with magic," Neville began, somewhat embarrassed. His cheeks flushed bright red as he averted his eyes. "She.well.she shot a curse at me. Just like what Percy was trying to do to us on Halloween, and I just stopped it. I was never shown how, but I knew exactly what to do. Sort of like what you did when." Neville trailed off, hesitating. He obviously wasn't sure if this was a good thing to bring up.  
  
"When I stopped the curse, when Voldemort tried to kill me," Harry finished for him.  
  
"Yes," Neville said quietly, nodding faintly.  
  
"But I didn't do it soon enough," Harry said bitterly. "I couldn't save Cho with all this power now, could I?"  
  
"You had no idea how to use your powers," a voice spoke up from the doorway. Harry and Neville looked to see Cole walking towards them. "You still don't," he went on, briskly. "Which is why it's so important we get your crystals as soon as possible."  
  
"Is that why you're here?" Harry asked. "To discuss when we're going to get them?"  
  
"Soon," Cole smiled. "We do need to talk about that, most definitely. But first, there's someone else I need to speak with." he trailed off, turning his head as he spoke. Harry followed his gaze to the opposite side of the room, where Draco still lay, sleeping.  
  
Harry and Neville exchanged a glance, but didn't say anything. They both knew exactly how difficult Malfoy would be to convince of his role in this, but Cole would find that out for himself soon enough.  
  
"Do you need us to talk to him as well?" Neville finally asked, his expression saying he wanted to be very far away when Draco was actually told.  
  
Cole shook his head with a grin.  
  
"No, thank you. You've both had everything explained to you by yourselves, we'll keep it going as such. But if I need one of you, I'll let you know." He nodded to both of them, before heading off in Malfoy's direction.  
  
"Good luck," Harry called after him, thinking it would take more than that to convince Draco of any of this.  
  
"Man he's in for a surprise," Neville muttered under his breath.  
  
"Yeah," Harry laughed, "I hope he shoots a curse at him, like Allison did for you. I would love to see that."  
  
"Except Draco is so full of himself, he won't consider it as proving anything," Neville pointed out, laughing along with Harry.  
  
"Well what's so funny you two?" Sirius' voice cut in suddenly. Harry and Neville turned to see him nearing the bed. "You both seem to be enjoying yourselves," he commented happily, obviously glad to see his godson smiling.  
  
"We're just wondering who's going to come out on top between Malfoy and Cole," Harry explained with a grin. "He's about to find out he's the defender." As the words left his mouth, Harry felt an unexpected chill run up his spine. The defender. Malfoy was chosen at birth to defend him, to protect him and know when he was in trouble. Why it had to be him of all people, Harry had no idea, but for the first time the words really sunk in. This was real, all of it, and from this point on the three of them would be forever changed.  
  
"Well I bet you a sickle he starts screaming his head off in five minutes," Sirius said cheerfully.  
  
"Five minutes?" Neville asked, stunned, before smiling widely. "Not a chance, he'll never make it past two."  
  
They all looked in the direction of Malfoy's bed to see him sitting upright, as far back against the headboard as he could get, staring wildly at Cole, who was calmly speaking, as if he were dangerous.  
  
"I give it thirty seconds," Harry said blandly, just as Malfoy looked over at him.  
  
"Potter!" he shrieked loudly, cutting Cole off entirely. "Is this your idea of a joke? Sending someone over to."  
  
"I didn't send anyone," Harry interrupted, just as loudly. "And what Cole is saying is the truth."  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," Cole spoke up, trying to draw his attention back to him. "If you'd just calm down a moment I'll finish explaining."  
  
However, Malfoy was doing anything but listening, he glared angrily at Harry before his eyes scanned the rest of the room, almost desperately. The worry in his face was evident when he saw no one besides the four people in the room with him, and he turned his glare upon Neville.  
  
"Longbottom!" he snarled. "Go fetch the headmaster now! Tell him there's a madman here disturbing me while I'm sick and in need of."  
  
"You are not sick Mr. Malfoy," Cole said pointedly. "And if you'd kindly shut up, I will tell you exactly why you felt what you did last night."  
  
"Longbottom move!" Malfoy shouted louder, ignoring Cole entirely.  
  
Harry saw Cole losing his temper, and wished Malfoy would just shut up and listen. He didn't think he had his wand handy in the event the older man actually did decide to shoot a curse at him, and it looked as if that was exactly what was going to happen.  
  
Glaring angrily at Malfoy, Cole stood up slowly.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy," Cole said in a dangerously quiet voice, "I would appreciate if you'd listen while I'm speaking to you."  
  
Malfoy, who was glaring intently at Neville, spun his gaze to Cole. His eyes were flashing; disgust and anger mingled in his expression.  
  
"Look whatever game it is you and Potter are playing at I'm not falling for it!" he hissed. "When my father hears about what you've tried to."  
  
"If you listen to what I have to say," Cole interrupted, "you'll realize what a bad idea it would be to tell your father about this at all. Unless you don't value your life, that is."  
  
Draco's expression remained as angry as ever, but now confusion was evident as well, his brow furrowed as he spoke again.  
  
"What are you on about? My father would never do anything to."  
  
"You don't know your father very well then, do you?" Cole asked, a smug look upon his face. "You are Harry's defender, whether you want to be or not you are. You can do nothing to change it. And the fact of the matter is, if someone wants him dead, they have to go through you first. He cannot die while you are alive. Now I have no doubt in my mind, that you are aware of Voldemort's attempts on Harry's life, and while his followers try to keep their identity a secret, we know your father is one of them."  
  
Draco opened his mouth to interrupt, possibly to defend his father in some way, but Cole rushed on.  
  
"Now if you tell one of Voldemort's followers that you are the person they're after and have been trying to kill for the past few months." he paused, giving Draco a pointed glare, "tell me, what do you think will happen?"  
  
"My father," Malfoy began, furiously, "would never do something like that to me. You're lying. You've concocted this horrible tale to scare me into doing something for you.well it is not going to work. I'm going to write to him today, as soon as I get out of here, and then.then you'll be sorry. You're going to regret this."  
  
Cole sighed in resignation, shaking his head sadly.  
  
"You leave me no choice Draco. If you refuse to listen to what I'm saying, then perhaps this will convince you."  
  
Harry tensed up, feeling almost sorry for Draco. For a few seconds, the room was deathly silent, everyone waiting for what was going to happen to Malfoy. When Cole raised his hand in front of him, however, he wasn't looking at Draco. Harry felt his mouth go dry and pushed himself further back on the bed in an effort to get away, as a beam of silver light hit him in the chest.  
  
Sirius and Neville cried out in surprise, rushing to Harry's side, but he barely heard them. His throat felt as if it were twisting violently, and his air supply was slowly cut off.  
  
"What are you doing?" Sirius screamed, angrily at Cole, gripping Harry by the shoulders as he struggled to breathe.  
  
"You mean you don't know?" Cole asked, somewhat surprised. He turned away from Sirius to look at Draco, who was also trying frantically to breathe.  
  
Harry wasn't paying attention to any of this, however. He brought his hands up to his neck, rubbing and massaging, trying desperately to get the air moving again.  
  
He looked up at last to see Cole, staring intently at Malfoy, who looked far worse off than he felt. His face was turning a sickening shade of blue and he was retching, uncontrollably. Pulling himself forward, clutching at the sheets of the bed, he reached forward, trying to grasp Cole's robes. Catching a handful of material, he looked up, even through his pain you could see the underlying fury beneath.  
  
"Stop Mr. Malfoy," Cole spoke plainly. "You're only making this worse. Stop concentrating on your anger and think about your pain."  
  
"I think you've shown him enough." Sirius began, anger evident in his voice. But he didn't take his eyes off of his godson. Harry struggled to stay conscious as his vision began to blur.  
  
"I will decide when it's been enough," Cole spoke crisply.  
  
"If you keep it up they're both going to die!" Sirius shouted, watching Harry grow paler.  
  
"No one is going to die," Cole said calmly. He turned his gaze once again to Draco, who had nearly passed out from the lack of air. Lifting his hand in front of him again, silver light formed around both Harry and Draco's necks, before appearing to be sucked out. Clasping his fingers around the light, Cole extinguished it in his fist, before dropping his arm to his side.  
  
Harry slumped back against the headboard, greedily gulping in air.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked, his eyes full of concern and worry. Harry nodded, faintly, and looked over to see how Draco was doing.  
  
Malfoy was also lying back against the pillows, breathing deeply, all the anger gone from his eyes, to be replaced with fear and confusion.  
  
"You had no right to." Sirius began, turning angrily to Cole.  
  
But Cole held up a hand, throwing Sirius a pointed stare. Sirius started to stand, his hands balled into fists, his teeth clenched, but stopped when he felt a hand tapping his shoulder.  
  
"Wait," Harry whispered hoarsely, pleading with his godfather to stop. Sirius looked hesitant for a moment, before nodding once, and dropping back onto the bed beside his godson. Harry mouthed the words thank you, before turning his attention back to Malfoy. Cole was already back in his seat, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He grinned smugly at Draco, before speaking.  
  
"Now," he said, evenly. "Will you listen to what I have to say?"  
  
"What.what did you do to me?" Draco wheezed his voice sounding strained and raw.  
  
"Did you see me do anything to you?" Cole asked.  
  
"You shot something out of your hand!" Draco tried to yell, but could barely get above a whisper.  
  
"Correct, that I did," Cole replied. "At Harry. I never did anything to you."  
  
Draco gaped at Cole, he turned to glance at Harry and then back again, a look of horror dawning on his face.  
  
"But." he croaked, his face growing paler by the second. "You weren't serious about what you said before.right?" he asked, his eyes wide with fear.  
  
"I was very serious indeed, Mr. Malfoy," Cole replied evenly. "You are Harry's defender. When he feels pain, you will as well. I am going to teach you how to use your pain, and turn it into energy that you can fight with."  
  
Draco shook his head slowly.  
  
"You have to be mistaken," he spoke quietly. "I could never...defend.him." he nearly spat with disgust. He looked upon Harry with hatred, and Harry suddenly felt a rush of fury. Sitting up quickly, he glared directly at Draco.  
  
"Do you think I want this either?" he asked loudly, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I would rather anyone else on the planet watching my back then you, I'm gonna be more worried about what you'll be doing to work against me than anything else. You have never done anything to show you have one shred of decency in your being and you don't deserve any of the power you were born with!"  
  
"Well how do I get rid of it then?" Draco asked vehemently. "Because I would rather live in pain the rest of my life than defend you from anything!" Crossing his arms over his chest, he sat back in a huff.  
  
"If you two are quite finished," Cole spoke evenly, looking from one to the other. "I'm sure this will take some time to adjust to, but it will happen. You have no choice but to let it. Your feelings towards one another will play no part when it comes down to the real thing. What I did today was to prove a point, but in all truth, it will never be that easy again."  
  
"I don't want it to happen again," Draco muttered, angrily.  
  
"You have no choice," Cole said firmly, fixing Malfoy with pointed stare.  
  
"Well how did this happen?" Draco asked, exasperatedly, flinging his hands in the air. "You said I was born with this, but I've never felt anything in the past when he's been hurt," he said, nodding in Harry's direction as he spoke.  
  
"You were born with it," Cole said gently. "And like Harry and Neville, your powers lay dormant within you until something brought them out. For Neville it was being forced into using his ability to defend against powerful magic, for Harry it was when his life was in danger, and his powers were forced into saving him. With you, however, it was a bit different. Voldemort wants to find you, quite badly as a matter of fact, and by giving Harry a deadly serum, was able to force you out of hiding, so to speak."  
  
"Is that what the serum did?" Harry asked, realizing he'd never found out the night before.  
  
"What serum?" Draco asked. "And why would Potter drinking it hurt me?"  
  
"The three of you are connected," Cole began, "through birth. You were all born on the same day, in the same minute. Harry was chosen to be the next Psion and the two of you were chosen along with him, as his protectors. It is unable to be changed or fought. It is your destiny. Liking each other as individuals has no bearing on this at all. Now the serum given to Harry would have killed any other person who drank it. As it made its way through him, slowly and painfully, your powers were stirred, sensing he was in trouble. Having no control over them right away, you ended up coming to the hospital wing, completely unaware of the true cause of your pain."  
  
"Why wouldn't he have felt something at the beginning of the year then, when Gridman tried to kill me?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"While I'm sure it felt longer to you," Cole replied, "the actual duration of the pain you felt that night was only a few minutes. You were uncomfortable afterwards, but you were safe, and so Malfoy's powers had no chance to manifest themselves fully. The serum's effects, however, lasted a great deal longer, as Voldemort knew it would. That is why they tried to give it to you once before."  
  
Harry nodded, noncommittally, while Malfoy's expression remained etched with confusion.  
  
"I still don't." he began, looking up at Cole, who held up a hand to silence him.  
  
"I will explain everything to you, Mr. Malfoy. You weren't awake for our little chat last night, and so your confusion is most understandable. The question is, are you ready to listen now?"  
  
Draco looked again at Harry. The dislike the two held for each other was still quite evident, but neither of them said anything else to one another. He turned back to face the man in front of him, looking directly into Cole's eyes, and nodded.  
  
"I am going to have a talk with that man," Sirius spoke lowly, through clenched teeth, glaring at Cole as he continued to speak to Draco. "He had no right to do that to you."  
  
"Believe me," Harry said, "I would rather it not have happened either. And I feel like I should be mad.but I'm not.it's like, I know that was the only way Draco would believe.and that makes it okay."  
  
"It certainly does not make it okay!" Sirius said a bit loudly and Harry and Neville both hissed at him to keep his voice down. But if Cole had overheard, he gave no notice. Both he and Draco were deep in conversation.  
  
"Sorry," Sirius said quickly, not really looking as if he meant it. "But if he's supposed to be here to help us, nearly killing you is not the way to gain our trust."  
  
"Sirius," Harry began gently. "It wouldn't have killed me. It hurt an awful lot, but Draco can't die from just feeling my pain.no matter how much it seems like he will. And if he's alive.then so am I."  
  
"He looked like he could have died to me."  
  
"But he wouldn't have," Harry said quickly. "I can't explain how I know this.I just feel it."  
  
"And you're quite right," a new voice spoke up from nearby. The three of them turned to see Gazten standing at the end of the bed. "You are connected to the point that he will feel your pain, and if he fights it like that each time, it will hurt him more than it does you, but he can't die from it. Pass out, maybe, but not die."  
  
"See?" Harry asked, grinning at Sirius. "Told ya."  
  
Sirius couldn't help but smile at Harry's smug expression.  
  
"Oh, so I guess you're the expert now, aren't you?" he asked, rolling his eyes.  
  
"He will be," Gazten spoke again. "Soon he'll know more about his powers than Cole or I could ever tell him. As soon as we get the crystals, everything will be much easier."  
  
"Yes I wanted to ask you about that," Sirius began, "when exactly are we going to get the crystals?"  
  
"As soon as possible," Cole's voice cut in, as he walked up behind them. Harry instantly looked over to where Malfoy was still sitting. He was staring after Cole, a blank expression on his face.  
  
"How is he?" Harry asked, looking up at Cole and nodding towards Draco.  
  
"He will need time to adjust to all of this, no doubt," Cole spoke softly. "But he is no longer fighting it. Now it just seems to be the shock of everything, as you know.it's a lot to handle all at once."  
  
Harry nodded, understanding the overwhelming feeling all too well. Glancing at Draco once more, he sighed lightly before turning to face the others.  
  
"So," he began, "what do we do now?"  
  
"The crystals are of the utmost importance," Cole spoke firmly. "We will need to get those right away."  
  
"Will you be going to get them?" Harry asked.  
  
Cole shook his head.  
  
"No, you will need to get the crystals. Allison will accompany you, but you are the one that needs to retrieve them."  
  
"Oh.but.we have to do it now?" Harry asked, feeling very much not up to going anywhere at this moment.  
  
"Today would be preferable," Cole nodded, taking no notice to Harry's disappointed expression.  
  
"I.I just don't feel.up to it.right now." Harry stammered.  
  
"I'm afraid we can't wait very." Cole began.  
  
"He doesn't have to go today if he doesn't feel well," Sirius interrupted, pointedly. "After what he's just been through, I don't think anyone has the right to force him to do anything he doesn't want to right now, least of all you." He glared evenly at Cole, as if daring him to argue.  
  
"I know you're upset with me for what happened a short while ago," Cole grinned, smugly. "But I suggest you listen to what your godson told you.I only did what had to be done. We don't have the time to let any of these three come to terms with this at their own leisure. I'm very sorry for what I did, but I had no choice."  
  
"And this coming from someone who took four months to get here! Where do you get off.?" Sirius began, heatedly.  
  
"Sirius," Gazten spoke up firmly, cutting him off. "My uncle has his reasons for arriving so late, and it is his choice if he wishes to share them with you or not."  
  
"Well whatever they are.they better be damn good," Sirius muttered, still looking quite angry.  
  
Cole nodded at Gazten once, before turning back to Harry.  
  
"I understand that you've been through much pain in the last twenty- four hours.for which I am deeply sorry. The crystals can wait.but please don't make it too long. A day maybe, two at the most. The sooner you start working with them, the sooner you have more control over your powers."  
  
"Thank you," Harry nodded. "I promise I won't wait long. Do I just come to you when I'm ready?"  
  
"No I'll be going with you," Gazten said gently, smiling at Harry.  
  
"So will I!" Sirius spoke up, abruptly.  
  
"Mr. Black," Cole began. "Please understand."  
  
"You're not going to tell me I can't go," Sirius said in a determined tone. "Because I don't care, I won't let Harry that far away from the school with someone I've known for a few months."  
  
"That isn't what I was going to say," Cole grinned, eyeing Sirius pointedly. "If you had let me finish, you would have heard me say please understand how important it is to let Harry be the one to handle the crystals. It is quite important that he, and only he, touch them, at least at first."  
  
"Why?" Harry asked. "I mean I'm not arguing.I'll be the one to carry them.but what is so important about it being me first?"  
  
"The stones are very sensitive," Cole explained. "They have not been handled since the last Psion passed on. You, being his predecessor, need to be the first to touch them, so they will be imprinted with a part of your personality. After that, it won't make much difference."  
  
"But.what do you mean? My personality? How? And if someone else were to touch them first.what would happen?"  
  
"It will make more sense," Cole said with a grin, "when they are actually here. Everything will be explained to you then. But, if someone else were to touch them before you.the stone could be infused with a part of them as well.whether they are a Psion or not. If that were to happen the stone would no longer be trustworthy, as it's advice to you would be tainted."  
  
"I'm.I'm still confused." Harry said, embarrassed.  
  
"I would expect so," Cole smiled. "Get the stones here first, then you will see what I mean. Everything will make sense, I promise you."  
  
Several hours later, still feeling confused, Harry was on his way back to the Gryffindor tower. Neville was walking beside him, silently. After Cole and Gazten had left, Sirius had stayed a short while longer, before it was time for him to continue patrolling with Marzia. Madam Pomfrey had checked him over again, and said if he felt well enough to leave, he was free to go. Harry was all too glad to get out of there, and dressed as quickly as possible. Malfoy had obviously been told the same, as before Harry could get a chance to ask him anything, he had already gone, presumably back to his dorm.  
  
They reached the portrait of the fat lady and Neville gave the password. It slowly swung open and the two of them stepped through, into the bustling common room. A hush fell over the students as Harry walked in, and he wondered exactly how much they knew before making his way to the back corner, where his friends waited for him, anxious expressions on their faces.  
  
"Harry," Hermione began as soon as he was near enough. "How are you?"  
  
Harry tried to smile at her; he could see her eyes were red and puffy from crying. A quick glance at the others told him Ginny had been doing the same, and Ron looked as if he could let go at any minute.  
  
"I'm okay," he said quietly, lowering himself into the chair nearest him.  
  
"I'm so sorry," she went on, her voice breaking now, and tears spilling forth. Ginny blew her nose softly and Harry had to fight back a fresh wave of grief.  
  
"I don't." he began, suddenly fighting to keep his voice steady. He cleared his throat firmly as an image of Cho's face flashed through his mind. Her smiling eyes, her soft lips, he had to lower his head as he felt the tears well up. "I don't want to talk about Cho." he said, forcing his voice to remain even. "Please.just not right now." He looked up to meet his friends' eyes one at a time, pleading with them.  
  
"Anything you want, mate," Ron said, his own voice wavering. He tried to give his friend a reassuring smile, but could barely manage to meet his gaze.  
  
"Thank you," Harry murmured, looking down at his hands. He didn't want them to see him like that.  
  
Hermione and Ginny were still sniffling, but didn't argue.  
  
"We were a bit worried," Ron began, trying to change the subject, "to say the least, when we saw you gone. Neville woke me up actually, he found the bottle and your wand, wanted to know if I knew anything about it. I of course didn't.and he went to get Gazten."  
  
"Oh," Harry said blankly. "Is that what happened? Nobody told me. Who gave him my invisibility cloak?"  
  
"I suggested it," Hermione said, apologetically. "Ron woke me up while Neville was getting Gazten. We were so scared Harry.we had no idea what happened to you." she trailed off miserably.  
  
"Well I take it you know now?" Harry asked, praying he wouldn't have to explain it to them. He just didn't think he could handle it right now.  
  
The three of them nodded in unison.  
  
"When Neville came back with Gazten, Dumbledore and Sirius, they all argued for a few minutes on what would be the best way to find you. Sirius seemed to think he should go after you.but Gazten and Dumbledore were convinced it had to be Neville, because he would be able to find you faster. At the time, none of us knew about him being your.guardian." Ron spoke with some hesitation, as if the idea were still strange to him. "But Dumbledore obviously knew something, as he wanted Neville to go as well. Sirius pointed out how dangerous it would be and what would he do if he was spotted.he was, after all, greatly outnumbered.and then Hermione suggested the cloak."  
  
"Well I'm glad she did.we would have been caught without it," Harry said, grinning weakly at Hermione. She returned the sentiment, looking sadly at her friend.  
  
"Gazten did something to the bottle then.I have no idea what, but a small creature that she called a bottle imp plopped out when she turned it over. She whispered a spell quickly and the imp turned to stone, and she smashed it to the floor," Ron spoke quickly, his eyes dull as he spoke. "Then she grabbed Neville's hand.and the two of them started shrinking. We watched them go into the bottle and saw a bright light from inside and then nothing. About an hour later, we saw the light again and they came back out, with you.and you know the rest." he trailed off.  
  
"Yes I do," Harry said, noncommittally, nodding as he spoke. He wanted to just forget the whole horrible evening and put it all behind him, but knew that would be much easier said than done. There was still too much of a chance that someone could get into the school, and Harry was fairly certain Saaneeraa was there all the time, from the way Voldemort had spoken. She could be controlling anyone, and Harry thought that finding her was probably the most important thing at this moment. He glanced around again at his friends, before settling his gaze on Hermione.  
  
"That night before the quidditch match," Harry began, "before Ginny's broom was cursed, do you remember anything that happened?"  
  
Hermione looked at him, confused.  
  
"What does that have to do with.?"  
  
"We know Saaneeraa did something to you that night," he interrupted, "according to the map, that's who you brought the Firebolt to. What we don't know is what Saaneeraa looks like. She could be controlling any one of us, at any time.or even possibly.taking the form of one of us."  
  
"But if she was taking someone else's form.why even bother sending Hermione for the broom? She could have come in and gotten it herself," Ron said.  
  
"I don't know," Harry replied. "But we know from what Allison told us that she can change form, and we know from the map that she was controlling Hermione."  
  
"Maybe she's taken Marzia's form," Ron suggested, his eyes suddenly wide. "Hermione was talking to her just before it happened!"  
  
"Well true, but then I came back here," Hermione spoke up. "It was hours before I.took the broom." she trailed off, shivering involuntarily. She still had no recollection of ever getting out of bed that night.  
  
"But she could have done something to you while you did talk!" Ron pressed. "Something that only would take effect later."  
  
"Okay," Harry cut in, "I agree we can't count her out, but I don't want to only think of her, or we might completely miss it if it's someone else."  
  
"Well, what about Gazten?" Hermione asked, shrugging. "I don't know much about her, but she seemed to know an awful lot about the entities, and she left out what Saaneeraa looked like entirely."  
  
"Yes, but I think that's because she can shift forms," Harry said. "And after all she's done to help.and all it seems she's still going to do.I kind of trust her more now." he trailed off.  
  
"So do I," Hermione sighed. "But I had to mention her."  
  
"Maybe it's Snape," Ron said, smirking. "He's been 'sick' for months.and the person who's supposed to be able to cure him.who can cure anyone it seems, can't make him better. And when Hermione took the broom she did go to the dungeons after all, which is where Snape usually can be found."  
  
"Well if Snape was really Saaneeraa, then why did the dream snake attack him? And why did they have him chained up in that secret room for over a day? It just doesn't seem to fit." Harry trailed off.  
  
"Cole maybe?" Hermione suggested. "I barely even spoke to him while he and Dumbledore were explaining things to us.but he certainly seems somewhat.shifty."  
  
"No, that doesn't make sense either," Harry said with a sigh. "Saaneeraa's been here for months and Cole's only just arrived. Besides I think Allison might notice something.he being her uncle and all."  
  
"I have a suggestion," Ginny spoke up in a small voice for the first time that evening. Everyone turned their attention to her, waiting.  
  
"What about Mel?" she asked. "She's someone we barely know, and only just met this year. She seems to be slowly trying to get closer to you," she said, looking pointedly at Harry, "and she's always sending letters, from what you've said. How do we know who they're being delivered to? Maybe she set this up from the beginning.starting with the 'accident' in the erumpent pen. You even said yourselves you don't remember her name being called at the sorting that first year."  
  
"But I think someone else might've realized by now if she weren't really a student," Harry said quickly, jumping to Mel's defense. "And since when is sending letters a bad thing?"  
  
"Well can't Saaneeraa control people?" Ginny asked. "Maybe no one's noticed anything because she doesn't want them to!"  
  
Harry shook his head, firmly.  
  
"No, I don't think it could be Mel."  
  
"But you can't be sure," Ginny pressed, sitting forward in her chair. "And just like you said for Marzia, about being careful not to center on one person.well it would be dumb to leave someone out as well. Just because you don't want her to be bad, doesn't mean she isn't."  
  
"Why are you so eager to blame her?" Harry asked, quietly.  
  
"Why are you so eager to trust her?" Ginny shot back. "I'm not trying to upset you, but you can't let yourself be blind to what she might be doing, just because you like her."  
  
Harry nodded stiffly, keeping his mouth shut. He didn't want to consider Mel as a suspect at all, but he was also not up for arguing about it anymore. Moving on, he tried to think of others they might add to their list, but after another hour or so of discussion, they could come up with no one else they could truly consider untrustworthy. Deciding to just leave it there for now, and having gotten very late, the four of them said goodnight to one another, and headed off to bed.  
  
Harry tossed and turned a good portion of the night. Having had much sleep while in the hospital wing, he was having a hard time falling asleep. As such, he was also letting his mind wander, keeping him all the more awake. Everything that had happened over the past day replayed again and again in his mind, making him sad, angry, depressed, and restless. When at last he was able to fall asleep, he could see the first glints of sunlight peeking through the window.  
  
Later on that afternoon, when he'd pulled himself out of bed just after everyone had eaten lunch, he dressed quickly and headed out of the common room. He didn't feel much like talking with his friends, and would go crazy with his thoughts if he didn't do something. At first, he had been glad that he wouldn't have to attend any classes right away, having a week and a half left to the winter break. But after just one night, he wished the holidays were over. At least in class he'd have something to occupy his mind.  
  
Moving quickly through the hallways, he went first to the great hall. While he was quite hungry from having slept through the first two meals of the day, he didn't want to eat just yet. Seeing the hall was mostly empty, he turned and left, now off in the direction of Dumbledore's office.  
  
He barely made it a quarter of the way before running into the person he'd been searching for.  
  
"Allison!" he called as he saw her walking in the same direction as he, a bit further up the corridor. She looked over her shoulder upon hearing her name, and smiled warmly as Harry approached.  
  
"Hello Harry," she said softly, stepping forward to meet him. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm.well.I know I said I wanted some time.but I changed my mind," he said quickly. "Can we go get the crystals soon? I'd like to start working with them right away." he trailed off, looking hopeful.  
  
"Of course!" Allison said, almost sounding relieved. "That's wonderful to hear, yes we can go soon. Give me some time; I'll set everything up. We can leave first thing in the morning."  
  
Harry was somewhat disappointed about not being able to leave right away, but nodded.  
  
"Thank you," he said. "I'll.um.I'll go tell Sirius. Is there anything I need to bring? Or do?" he asked, not sure what would be required of him.  
  
"Just yourself," she winked, grinning. "And remind your godfather about the crystals.he can't touch them."  
  
"I know, I know," Harry said, smirking. Gazten knew, as well as Harry, that Sirius could be a bit overly protective of him at times, but he loved the attention just the same.  
  
Harry thanked her again, before heading off again to Dumbledore's office. He wasn't sure if Sirius were patrolling or elsewhere, but the best person to ask would be the headmaster.  
  
However once again he ran into someone before he made it to his destination.  
  
"Where you headed Harry?" Marzia laughed as he turned the corner, almost colliding with her as he did so. "We seem to keep meeting this way."  
  
"Do you know where Sirius is?" Harry asked abruptly. He didn't want to sound rude, but at the same time wasn't sure how much he trusted her.  
  
Marzia looked a bit taken back at his response, but recovered quickly.  
  
"I think he's downstairs, in the dungeon area," she said, looking curiously at him. "Is everything alright? Can I help?"  
  
"Well I just need to talk to him," Harry said, beginning to turn away.  
  
"Whoa, hold on mister," Marzia spoke firmly. "Not a chance you're going down there by yourself."  
  
"I'm not entirely helpless you know," Harry said, somewhat heatedly. "And I've been down there before without an escort."  
  
"Well this won't be one of those times," she shrugged, stepping past him. "So, you coming?"  
  
Harry shook his head faintly, but didn't argue. He just wanted to find Sirius and let him know about tomorrow. Together, he and Marzia started off for the dungeons.  
  
"Harry, I know things are very hard for you right now," Marzia began after a few moments of silence, "but please, don't shut everyone out. I'm here if you ever need to talk."  
  
"I'm not shutting everyone out," Harry replied evenly. "And thank you, if I want to talk I'll let you know."  
  
Marzia looked at him for a moment more, seeming as if she wanted to continue talking, but sensing that Harry wanted nothing less. They walked on in silence again, passing the entrance to the great hall, before finding the corridor that led to the dungeons. Sirius was on his way back just as the entered, and Harry smiled as he caught sight of him.  
  
"Sirius," he called, quickening his pace. "I need to talk to you."  
  
"Hey you two," Sirius replied cheerfully, a broad smile spreading across his face. "Been chatting, have you?"  
  
"Not exactly," Marzia replied, looking from Sirius to Harry. Sirius gave her a questioning look but she just shook her head, indicating she wasn't going to talk about it now.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Sirius asked, turning back to his godson, looking a bit worried.  
  
"Yes, everything's fine," Harry replied, quickly. He glanced uncertainly in Marzia's direction, before continuing. "I spoke to Allison this morning; I want to go for the crystals as soon as possible. She said she would have everything ready so we could leave first thing in the morning, and I just wanted to let you know right away in case you needed to do something before we left.you still want to go, right?"  
  
"Oh yes, I'm definitely going," Sirius said firmly as Harry finished speaking. "I'll be ready, don't you worry."  
  
"Thank you," Harry said, already knowing that was going to be the answer. "Remember the crystals though," he went on," you can't touch them before I do."  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes.  
  
"I remember," he said with a smirk. "Despite what you may think I do actually listen when others are talking.even if I'm not quite fond of them."  
  
"I was just making sure." Harry smiled. "Doesn't hurt to be certain."  
  
"No it doesn't," Sirius agreed, sounding a bit more somber now. "Which is why I'm going to find Gazten now, and see exactly how we're going to go about this tomorrow." He paused, glancing again at Marzia, before turning to meet Harry's gaze. He put a hand on his shoulder and spoke sincerely. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. "If you need anything.or if you want to talk.please tell me. If I don't have the time I'll make it, no questions asked."  
  
Harry felt a swell of mixed emotions building up inside him. He tried to smile gratefully at his godfather.  
  
"Thank you," he said in a strained voice. "I don't want to talk about anything right now, but I will let you know if I do."  
  
Sirius looked uncertainly at Harry, trying to see past the front. He could see the pain evident in his godson's eyes, but didn't want to push him. Nodding once, he smiled warmly and gave him a reassuring pat on the back.  
  
"Take as long as you need," he said. "I'm here for you, whenever you need me." He sighed lightly, before looking away and glancing around at the dark, dank hallway to the dungeon area. "C'mon you two, let's get out of here."  
  
For the rest of the day, Harry tried to keep himself completely occupied. He started on the homework that was due at the end of the break, spending several hours getting through a great deal of it. Since they hadn't had Snape for potions most of the year, their homework was not as overwhelming as it usually would be. Although he sat with his friends through dinner, he didn't feel up to talking. He let them know about going for the crystals the next day, and who was going, but would say little else. That night he turned in early, and despite having slept so late that day, fell asleep almost immediately after getting into bed.  
  
The next morning he was woken up by someone shaking him softly. He turned over, instinctively reaching for his glasses and placing them on, to see Sirius standing over him.  
  
"Good morning," he smiled, whispering so as not to wake the others in the room. "Sleep well?"  
  
Harry nodded, pushing himself up.  
  
"Much better than last night," he said with a stretch. He rubbed at his eyes under his glasses, before blinking a few times, and looking up at Sirius.  
  
"Are we leaving now?" he asked, eagerly.  
  
"As soon as you're ready." Sirius replied, smiling.  
  
"Give me two minutes," Harry said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He ran to his closet, pulling it open, before a thought occurred to him, and he spun around.  
  
"Sirius," he whispered loudly. "Remember to wear muggle clothes.no robes."  
  
Sirius glanced down at his attire, before nodding at his godson with a smirk.  
  
"Good thing one of us is thinking," he said, wryly, before turning again and heading back through the door.  
  
Harry threw on pants and a shirt, before pulling a sweater on over his head. He grabbed his wand and his watch, shoving them into his pocket, and crossed the room to the door as quickly and quietly as possible.  
  
Sirius was waiting for him, and together they left the Gryffindor tower. The took a small detour through the hallways so Sirius could change out of his robes, before heading down to the main entrance, where Gazten was waiting for them.  
  
"Good morning," she said cheerfully as they both came up to her. "Everybody all set?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Very ready," he said, eagerly. He hadn't been to thrilled with this when Cole had first told him of the crystals, but now he was rather anxious to get to them. To learn from them.  
  
The three of them walked through the doors to see a small blue car parked a short distance from the school.  
  
"We're driving there?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"It would be best," Gazten answered. "We don't have a floo channel opened to your aunt and uncle's house any longer, and at the present time we can't even reach anyone from the ministry. Also, even though you may know how to apparate, you technically still aren't allowed to. Ministry or no ministry it's better not to chance that."  
  
Harry nodded, realizing it did make sense to drive, even if it would take longer. It had been a while since he'd even gotten into a car, and it felt strange when he first slid into the back seat. Gazten sat on the passenger side, while Sirius took the driver's.  
  
Sitting back into the soft leather, Harry took a deep breath. It would be a long ride, no doubt, but he was glad to get out of the school for a bit, with people he trusted. He turned to look out the window as Sirius started the car, and watched the trees in the distance begin to move as the passed.  
  
Harry barely realized what was happening, he'd fallen asleep in the back not too long into the ride, but before he knew it, he felt the car slowing to a stop. He opened his eyes to see a place he hadn't been in over a year. Privet Drive.  
  
He yawned loudly, arching his back from sitting in one position for so long, and glanced up at the front seat.  
  
"That was fast," he commented with a smirk.  
  
"For you maybe, sleeping beauty," Sirius nearly groaned. "You've been asleep since before we even got past Hogsmeade, and right after you'd been sleeping for hours!"  
  
"What can I say?" Harry shrugged with a grin. "Being in a moving vehicle always gets me sleepy. As long as it's not moving out of control or anything, I'm out like a light."  
  
He smiled widely at his godfather's bemused grin, before turning to look out the window. His aunt and uncle's house looked exactly as he'd remembered it. The windows had the same flowery curtains and the paint was the same bland white.  
  
"I want to go talk with them by myself," Harry said suddenly. "I think it would be a bit easier on them, rather than having all three of us just show up unexpectedly."  
  
"No I don't think that's a good idea," Sirius said immediately. I don't want you anywhere that I can't see you, especially around those people," he said with obvious distaste.  
  
"Sirius, I'm not a little boy anymore. They can't force me to go to my room or under the stairs, and even if they could I don't think they'd want to. I'm willing to bet they're enjoying not having me there anymore."  
  
"He has a point Sirius," Gazten spoke up suddenly. "His visit alone is going to be a shock, we don't want to cause a scene here, so it might be better if we wait out here."  
  
"Yes, please, just for a bit," Harry picked up anxiously as she finished speaking. "Give me a half hour, in case they have the trunk hidden away somewhere. If I'm not out by then, then you can come in."  
  
Sirius looked skeptically from one to the other, looking very uneasy. He was obviously very much against this idea entirely, and was ready to say no. But the pleading look in his godson's eyes caused him to soften at the last moment.  
  
"I'm watching the clock starting right now," he said firmly. "If you need something you shoot up sparks, I don't care if any muggle here sees it. Break them through the nearest window and we'll be there in half a second.  
  
"Thank you," Harry smiled widely, leaning forward to hug his godfather over the seat.  
  
"You're welcome," Sirius said, unable to believe he was really going along with this. "Get going, you've got twenty-nine minutes left."  
  
"Right," Harry said, anxiously, throwing his door open. He swung it shut behind him, before crossing the street and walking up the familiar path to number four Privet Drive. His hand shook slightly as he pressed his finger to the doorbell, and waited. Less then a minute later, the door was pulled open quickly, and Vernon Dursley stood there, looking no different then he had the last time Harry had seen him. His face was scrunched instantly into a scowl of anger when he saw his nephew and he spoke in a gruff tone.  
  
"What are you doing here boy?" he asked.  
  
"Hello Uncle Vernon," Harry said, trying to sound pleasant. "Sorry to drop in on you like this, but Sirius and Remus left something here when they came to take my things last time, and I'm here to get it."  
  
Vernon looked at him skeptically, but surprisingly didn't argue. He swung the door open slowly, and stood aside allowing Harry to pass.  
  
"Back here," Vernon muttered after slamming the door shut loudly. Harry followed him curiously, thinking his uncle seemed to know exactly what he was talking about.  
  
The house was as immaculately clean as ever, every frame and piece of furniture in the same places they'd always been, the only difference being the pictures of Dudley were older and wider. Apparently the diet wasn't working, Harry thought with a smirk.  
  
Moving through the hallway, past the stairs, they reached the kitchen, where Petunia was busy making something for dinner.  
  
"Hello Aunt Petunia," Harry said with a smile when he spotted her. She turned to look at him, disgust etched across her face.  
  
"What does he want?" she asked, ignoring Harry and looking to her husband.  
  
"That trunk that that crazy old fool sent us when he left the runt here is my guess," Vernon replied with a shrug. "Out here boy, let's go," he said, gesturing to Harry to follow him out back. Harry looked from his aunt to his uncle, feeling slightly puzzled, but followed.  
  
Vernon led him to the shed behind the house where he kept all of his tools. He reached out to the door, pulling it open swiftly, and stepped aside.  
  
"There," he grunted, pointing into the darkness. Harry stepped forward cautiously, straining to see. He could barely make out the shape of a large box just inside the doorway, and when he finally reached out, he felt the rough wood of a trunk under his fingers.  
  
Stepping further into the shed, he bent down and grasped the handles on either side of the large trunk, before bringing it back out into the daylight. When he was able to see it clearer, he noticed fresh dirt and soil in the cracks of the chest.  
  
"Um." he began uncertainly, "where was this?"  
  
"Pardon me?" Vernon spat, seeming insulted at having been spoken to.  
  
"Well, it's covered in dirt, and it looks like."  
  
"It's been in this shed for years boy!" Vernon cut him off, shouting. "Did you think it would be clean?"  
  
"No, it's not that," Harry said, quickly, trying not to start fighting. This could very well be the last time he spoke with his uncle, and he didn't want to end it on a bad note, despite how much they'd done to him in the past. He didn't hold any great love for them, but they were still his family. But he couldn't get rid of the nagging voice in his head. The trunk was so covered in dirt, it reminded Harry of a freshly dug up object. But if it had been buried, then his uncle would have had to have known he was coming, or he most likely would have left it that way.  
  
"Never mind," he muttered, deciding it didn't matter. All he had to do now was get the trunk back out to the car.  
  
Vernon turned up his nose, and began walking back to the house, leaving his nephew to carry the heavy trunk by himself. Harry didn't say anything further. He hefted the trunk back up, shifting his weight to keep his balance, and trudged after his uncle.  
  
When he reached the door, he was a bit surprised to see Petunia holding it open for him.  
  
"Thank you," he said as he reached her, and began to maneuver the large chest through the small doorway.  
  
She didn't reply, just looked the other way as he began to pass. He'd almost made it though when his foot came into contact with something unexpected and he lurched forward, the case flying out of his hands. He hit his knees hard on the tile floor, and winced as he heard the trunk crash down.  
  
"Be more careful boy!" Vernon screamed from the door to the hallway as Harry began to pick himself up. He threw a suspicious glance at Petunia, almost positive she had tripped him, but didn't say anything about it.  
  
Two more minutes, he thought to himself, then I'm out of here. Stepping forward, he flipped the chest slowly back around, glad to see the lock still in place and unbroken. He again grabbed the handles on the sides, and headed for the hallway door that his uncle was standing in.  
  
"Nice to see you again," he said to Vernon as they reached the front door.  
  
The larger man snorted in response, not bothering to answer.  
  
Harry nodded, expecting nothing less. He was getting ready to step past his uncle, when he just had to ask one more question.  
  
"Uncle Vernon?" he began, curiously. "If you knew this trunk was mine.because you seemed to know I was looking for one when I came here.why didn't you just give it to Sirius and Remus when they came last time?"  
  
Vernon looked upon Harry as he always had, with distaste and revulsion, but for a second, Harry thought he looked scared.or at least worried. The look was gone in an instant though, and the larger man simply turned away from his nephew.  
  
"Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked, pressing further. He felt that something must be wrong. They never talked to him much to begin with, but this was more than that. He opened his mouth again to ask what was going on, when he heard a very faint sound behind him, making his heart skip a beat. The all too familiar popping noise, told him someone had just apparated into the room. 


	17. Chapter 17

Harry let go of the trunk, letting it crash to the floor with a bang; spinning around, he found several death eaters apparating into the room. Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he pulled out his wand as the closest death eater stepped towards him. It was Gridman.  
  
"You might as well put that away," Gridman spoke with an evil grin, gesturing at Harry's wand with his own, "For all the good it will do you."  
  
"No, I don't think I will," Harry spoke evenly, his eyes scanning the room, nervously. The doorway behind him was still unblocked except for his uncle, which he didn't think would be a problem, but he also didn't want to leave them there. Family was family, no matter how much he disliked them. Besides, whatever they had done to him in the past, it was nothing to deserve being tortured or killed by death eaters.  
  
Gridman's smile broadened, as he saw Harry shift nervously.  
  
"You're going to wish you never left us the other night," he snarled. You made our master quite.upset." trailing off, he flinched involuntarily. Harry couldn't imagine what Voldemort had done to them when they'd found he'd escaped, and didn't want to either. As far as he was concerned, it was what they deserved for allying themselves with the dark wizard to begin with. He glanced again over his shoulder to see an unreadable expression on his uncle's face, before turning again to Gridman.  
  
"Look, they have nothing to do with this," he began, gesturing with a nod to his uncle, "leave them out of it. We can go outside and."  
  
"Why, so you can get help from your friends who are waiting for you?" Gridman laughed. "We know you're not alone Potter, and we have no intention of losing you this time."  
  
Harry's mind was racing. How did Voldemort know he was going to be at the Dursley's at this exact time? He couldn't leave his relatives alone, but he was greatly outnumbered. If they took him now, Sirius and Gazten would have no idea of it until they finally came looking for him, and he knew he hadn't been here long enough for it to be time for that yet. His only hope was to stall them.  
  
"Don't worry, we have no plans to hurt the muggles," Gridman said in disgust, "so long as you do as we tell you to. We'll be out of here in a few moments, and they can continue doing.whatever it is muggles do. Now, you won't be needing your wand, so why don't you just give it to me?"  
  
"I don't think so," Harry said calmly, tightening his grip on the wand. He wasn't going to make the first move, there were too many death eaters surrounding him. All he could do was hope to block whatever came his way, until he could think of a better plan.  
  
"Fine, we'll do it my way," Gridman spoke flatly. He waved his wand in the air and shouted. "Expelliarmus!"  
  
Harry felt his wand being ripped from his grasp, but this time something was different. This time he felt the invisible grip on his wand, trying to twist it from his hand. Bending his arm quickly, he brought up his free hand to take hold of the other end of the wand, pulling it towards him with such ferocity; he was able to draw it out of the spell. A brief wave of relief passed over him as he realized it had worked, and he quickly pointed the wand in front of him again, at a stunned, angry Gridman.  
  
"Interesting," Gridman said through clenched teeth, eyeing Harry cautiously. His gaze fell upon the trunk that had been dropped to the floor. "Let's have a look at those crystals, shall we?"  
  
Harry's eyes widened as Gridman stepped forward. No way was he going to let anyone touch the crystals. He shouted out the first curse that entered his mind.  
  
"Compactum Crus!"  
  
A stream of gold light emitted from his wand and hit Gridman in the shins, locking his legs together. The tall death eater fell forward from the momentum, hitting the floor knees first. Harry didn't stop to think, for he knew the other death eaters wouldn't waste any time in retaliating. Bringing his wand up and around in a spherical motion, he called out another spell.  
  
"Veneficium Aegis!"  
  
The air in front of him shimmered momentarily, as he watched the first curse heading his way. Upon impact with the shield Harry had conjured seconds before, the curse splayed itself against it and was rapidly absorbed, strengthening the block. Several more followed quickly, only to meet the same fate. Sparks flew as each one made contact, before they promptly dissolved.  
  
"Idiots," a familiar voice muttered from above Harry and he began to turn around, wand outstretched as he heard the person descending the stairs, but he never made it. Something hard slammed into his gut, knocking the wind out of him entirely. He slumped to the floor in pain and gasping for air, as his wand was physically ripped from his grasp. Looking up through the tears that had sprung to his eyes, and coughing so fiercely it was close to retching, he saw his uncle straightening back up, holding his wand. It was immediately clear to Harry what happened. Vernon had punched him, obviously to get his wand, but he didn't know why.  
  
"Very nice Dursley," Lucius Malfoy commented snidely as he reached the bottom of the steps and held out his hand. "I'll take that now."  
  
Vernon looked hesitantly at Lucius for just a moment, before handing him Harry's wand.  
  
"Where's my son?" he asked, meekly, his voice barely a whisper, sweat standing out on his shiny forehead.  
  
"I told you he wouldn't be harmed," Lucius began, impatiently, "and he hasn't been. Your whale of a boy is asleep upstairs, and will remain that way for several hours." He turned away from the large man then and grinned down upon Harry. "I'm so very glad to see you again," he said maliciously, his eyes clearly showing his loathing. He glanced up at the other death eaters, then down to Gridman who was still struggling on the floor, looking disgusted.  
  
"You truly are a pathetic lot," he spoke in a dangerously low tone, before raising his wand.  
  
"Finite Incantatem."  
  
Gridman jumped up instantly, snatching his wand up as he did so, and glared angrily down at Harry, who was still breathing heavy, but no longer coughing. The shield flickered out weakly, and Harry found himself surrounded by the death eaters, with nothing left to protect himself. He glanced sideways at the trunk, eyeing the lock, knowing he could never pick it in time to use the crystals, nevermind the fact that he hadn't the slightest clue how to do so.  
  
"Stand up," Lucius spat, stepping in between Harry and the chest, having followed the younger man's gaze. Harry slowly pushed himself up and stood against the wall behind him. The dull ache in his stomach was completely masked by the sick feeling that was filling him. Surely there couldn't be too much time left before Sirius would come looking for him, but would he still be here when they arrived?  
  
"How did you know I was here?" he asked evenly, glaring at Lucius, trying anything to stall for time.  
  
"We have our ways," Lucius spoke crisply, taking a menacing step forward. Harry could see the tip of his wand poking out of the death eater's pocket, but he wasn't close enough to go for it. "Which I'm not about to share with you, now move." He reached forward and grasped Harry by the arm, shoving him away from the wall and towards the living room.  
  
"Where are we going?" Harry asked, looking around at the spotless room he had cleaned so many times.  
  
"Sit down," Lucius said disgustedly, pointing to the sofa. Harry lowered himself into it cautiously as the other death eaters filed into the room. He saw there were six of them besides Lucius and Gridman, two of them carried his trunk in, and set it down near the fireplace. "Now we wait."  
  
"For what?" Harry asked, fearing he already knew the answer as Lucius took a small sack out of his robes.  
  
"For our passage through the floo network to be opened," he smiled, "it should only be a few more moments."  
  
Harry looked around desperately, trying to clear his mind. He saw his uncle standing nervously in the doorway to the room, and his aunt had come up quietly next to him. They both looked rather pale and sick, and couldn't meet Harry's eyes.  
  
"Shouldn't it already have been done by now?" Gridman asked impatiently, staring from Lucius to the fireplace and back.  
  
"Calm down," Lucius said stiffly. "After your performance a few moments ago, we should leave you here wandless for his friends to find."  
  
Gridman looked at him, indignantly, but stayed silent. His eyes scanned the room again, the Dursley's noticeably stiffening as he looked towards them, but he continued on until his eyes came to rest on Harry.  
  
"I still want to see what's inside the box," he said maliciously, with a wicked grin on his face. He turned quickly and strode to where the box had been set down, kneeling next to it.  
  
"No!" Harry screamed, jumping up from his seat. He attempted to lunge across the room to stop Gridman, but was grabbed by two death eaters standing nearby. They flung him back down to the couch, but he refused to stay put, he was on his feet again in an instant.  
  
Gridman stood again, bringing his wand up in front of him, but Lucius had already began to move, he stepped in front of Harry, his wand aimed straight at him.  
  
"I asked you," he hissed, "to sit down. You will be taught to obey when someone tells you to do something."  
  
"Just keep him away from the crystals," Harry replied evenly, looking past Lucius to where Gridman stood. "And I will."  
  
Lucius cocked his head, a cross between amusement and anger in his expression.  
  
"You caused us a lot of trouble the other night," he began in a low voice. "And a lot of pain. I think we need to repay you."  
  
Harry turned his eyes to meet Lucius' demented gaze, steeling himself for whatever was coming. He barely heard the words that left the death eater's lips, but knew as it hit him, it was the Cruciatus Curse. He fell to the floor, trying not to scream, writhing in agony, his back arched in pain. It went on and on, Lucius refusing to lift it, and soon it became impossible to hold in his cries. Anguished tears stung his eyes, blurring his vision, and he could no longer distinguish one death eater from another. He began to see black spots and his eyes rolled up into his head, it had become so very hard to breathe, and he fought with all he had left in him, to stay conscious.  
  
"That," Lucius said, suddenly stopping, lowering his wand, "was your first lesson. There will be more.before you die."  
  
Harry could barely move, he had the distinct impression someone was standing over him, laughing. Every fiber of his being was on fire, and his breathing was very shallow, but he wasn't going to lie there helplessly. Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to sit up, shaking badly. He saw Gridman smiling down at him, and a sick hatred filled him. His stomach twisted, much as it had two nights before, and he felt electricity in the air. As he lifted himself off the floor, his now weak legs shaking, a burst of flame suddenly exploded in the fireplace, and he knew the passageway had been opened.  
  
"Bring him over here," Lucius said absently, and Gridman grasped one of Harry's arms roughly, forcing him forward.  
  
"We don't want to take any chances," Lucius said, tossing floo powder into the fire. "I'll take him first, then the rest of you can follow. Gridman nodded, letting go of Harry's arm and stepping back.  
  
"Move Potter," Lucius spat, pointing his wand again at Harry, but he didn't respond. He looked at the green flames, wanting their way out to be gone, when suddenly something flickered within them. He watched in amazement, as the green color faded out almost instantly, and the flames turned an eerie gray-white. Lucius noticed immediately what was happening, and looked accusingly at Harry.  
  
"What did you do?" he screamed, angrily.  
  
Harry stared at the flames in amazement, knowing again that he had caused this to happen, but not knowing how he did it. Only when Lucius physically pulled him around so they were facing each other did he tear his gaze from the now white hot fire.  
  
"I asked you a question," Lucius spat.  
  
"I.I don't know." Harry stammered. He had been furious only moments earlier, but now he was feeling nothing except awe.  
  
"Fix it!" Lucius screamed.  
  
"I can't!" Harry answered, trying to step away as Lucius' grip became uncomfortably tight.  
  
"Maybe we should toss him in," Gridman quipped, smiling. "Then he can let us know if the floo powder still has any effect.and if it doesn't." he trailed off, his eyes gleeful as he stared at Harry. "Well we know he won't die anyway."  
  
Lucius actually seemed to be considering the idea and Harry felt an icy chill run up his spine as he stood between the two men, when suddenly the doorbell rang.  
  
Harry spun to look at the door, knowing it must be Sirius and Gazten. He was about to yell out to them, when a hand was clapped roughly over his mouth, and an arm wrapped over his own, pinning them to his sides.  
  
"We outnumber them," Lucius whispered into his ear. "So stop struggling and maybe we'll let them live."  
  
Harry nodded, faintly, knowing it didn't matter what he did, Sirius would not wait too long for someone to answer that door. He felt Lucius release him, only to see the twisted man point his wand at him again. Harry's arms were pulled behind his back as cords wound themselves around his wrists, binding them together, before Lucius grabbed him again.  
  
"Answer the door," he hissed to the Dursleys still frozen to the spot in the entrance to the living room. "Stall them.and make it good.or you will regret it."  
  
Turning back to the fire, Harry was afraid for a moment they really were just going to toss him in. The heat radiating from the flames was so intense he could feel the sweat beading along his hairline, almost immediately. But Lucius did not push him forward; instead, he reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out the bag of floo powder again. He tossed it quickly to Gridman.  
  
"Throw a bit more of that in," he spoke rapidly, "we'll see what happens." He looked up at the other death eaters in the room. "The rest of you, go, we will meet you back at the castle." Without even a moment's hesitation, the others in the room disapparated quickly, not daring to disobey Malfoy.  
  
Gridman nodded, sprinkling some of the powder into his palm. He moved up directly in front of the fire, just as the voices in the hallway grew loud. Harry felt his heart beating so fast he could barely take it. Just a few seconds more, that's all he needed, then Sirius would surely push past and find him.  
  
Harry watched as the powder hit the blaze and felt his heart sink as a fresh burst of green flames rose up, extinguishing the gray ones. He struggled against the cords around his wrists, and resisting with every ounce of strength left in him when Lucius attempted to force him forward, when at last Sirius burst into the room, looking furious. Gazten came up beside him, looking considerably more collected, but her eyes were narrowed dangerously.  
  
Harry felt Lucius pull him again, this time so he was blocking the death eater from whatever curses the others may throw at him.  
  
"Let him go," Sirius snarled, glaring menacingly at Lucius.  
  
"You're too late," Lucius replied, Harry felt his grip tighten. He looked at Sirius, trying to remain calm. As he twisted his wrists, trying to free his hands his fingers brushed against something, and he realized it was his wand. Grasping the end of it tightly, he tried to lift it out of the pocket, but had barely any room to maneuver.  
  
"Go," Lucius hissed at Gridman, seeing the other man standing there, as if waiting for orders. Gridman didn't waste any time arguing, he spun where he stood and nearly dove into the flames. Harry listened carefully, waiting to hear the name of where he was going, but the words never came.  
  
A putrid smell filled the air almost immediately and Harry wanted to retch from the stench. He felt Lucius' grip loosen faintly. They both turned slightly looking to the fireplace, only to see the remains of what had to be Gridman, and realized instantly the stink in the air was burnt flesh.  
  
Lucius spun back around, enraged. He glared at Sirius and Gazten's triumphant expressions, there was no way to take Harry now, and the tables had turned, he was outnumbered. Sirius took a step forward, keeping his wand trained on Lucius, who still had Harry in front of him, shielding him.  
  
"Give it up Malfoy, you've got no one here to help you," Sirius said from across the room.  
  
"Take one more step Black," Lucius called, loudly, "and you'll regret it dearly." Harry knew he was trying to use him against Sirius, but he was bluffing. Lucius couldn't do anything to kill Harry, and he had no way to get out of there with him either.  
  
Malfoy seemed to realize this as well, as he looked wildly around the room. Harry felt Lucius let go of him and held fast to his wand, not wanting to lose it again. He felt a hand on his back as he was roughly shoved forward, his knees slamming into the floor, before the momentum carried him ahead completely. His head nicked the corner of the chest and he felt a twinge of pain, before he hit the floor, blood trickling slowly into his eye from the now open wound.  
  
Pulling his knees up under him, Harry struggled into an upright position as Sirius rushed to his side.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked, a horrified expression crossing his face as he spied the blood.  
  
Harry nodded slowly, shifting uncomfortably.  
  
"I'm okay," he said quietly as Sirius untied him, "where's Lucius?"  
  
"Disapparated," Sirius said angrily.  
  
Harry nodded, expecting as much. He held up his wand in front of him for a moment, before sliding it into his pocket, and Sirius helped him to his feet. The effects of being under the Cruciatus Curse for so long were far from gone, and now that he didn't have other immediate problems, the pain was much stronger.  
  
"He never stood a chance," Gazten spoke up from near the fireplace, a hand over her face in an attempt to block out the overwhelming stench. "He was gone the second he touched the flames."  
  
"But why?" Harry asked, holding a hand up to his cut. "I didn't hear him yell in pain or anything."  
  
"He was dead before he could," Gazten replied simply. "Something was wrong with the fire.maybe it was their floo powder."  
  
"I.I did something to it." Harry spoke up quietly.  
  
Gazten looked at him curiously.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked gently.  
  
Harry felt nausea rising up in his throat, and had to look away from the corpse, tattered and singed flesh hanging off the blackened bones.  
  
"I don't know," he replied, shaking his head. "But he was going to touch the crystals," he said, gesturing towards the fireplace, "and then the passageway was opened. I just got so angry.and something happened. I don't know what I did, but the fire went gray, and was so hot it hurt to stand next to it. When you rang the bell, Lucius gave Gridman the floo powder to try again.and it turned green.I thought it was back to normal, but I guess not."  
  
Harry turned away completely, unable to stand the stench anymore. He felt dizzy for a moment, swaying on his feet, and put a hand out to steady himself.  
  
"Well you used your powers without the crystals again, that much is clear," Gazten said. "And it's a good thing too, or they would have gotten you out before we arrived."  
  
"Yeah, good thing," Harry replied. "I killed him."  
  
"You did no such thing," Sirius spoke up, his tone one of concern and warning. "You have no real control over your powers yet, and you never forced him into the fire, he practically dove in on his own."  
  
Harry nodded, not feeling entirely guilty over what had happened, but rather very ill over what he had seen. He pulled his hand away from his head to see his sleeve soaked in blood. As he turned his sleeve to use the other side of it for pressure, he looked up, and saw the Dursleys standing in the doorway, gaping at him.  
  
"I know, I know," he spoke bitterly towards them. "Don't worry, we'll make sure everything's back to normal before we leave."  
  
"Do you." Petunia began, hesitantly, almost scared to speak. "Do you want a cloth for your head?"  
  
Harry felt his jaw drop in amazement and his hand slipped away from his wound.  
  
"Er.excuse me?" he asked, positive he had misheard.  
  
"Your head," Petunia said somewhat louder now, "it's bleeding quite badly. Let me clean it for you."  
  
"After what you just did to him I think you need to just keep your distance," Sirius said angrily. "You stood by and watched, did nothing."  
  
"What could we do?" Vernon shouted. "They threatened our son and they can do." he trailed off, not even wanting to say the word. "They can do magic!" he whispered fiercely.  
  
"So can I," Sirius quipped, raising his wand in front of him.  
  
"Sirius, no," Harry said, putting out a hand and pushing his godfather's wand down. "It's not their fault. We both know Malfoy would've killed them if they didn't do as he asked."  
  
"That doesn't change the fact that they did nothing to warn you," Sirius said flatly. "They let you walk right into this trap, as it obviously was. Don't you wonder how the death eaters knew you were here?"  
  
"Yes, I do," Harry replied, sounding calmer than he felt. "But I highly doubt the Dursley's were the one's to tell Voldemort I was coming."  
  
"Come into the kitchen," Petunia said then, looking at Harry. He could see how scared she was, and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. "You need that cleaned," she gestured again to his cut, "and we can tell you what we know."  
  
Harry looked hesitantly at the Dursley's, their pale, scared faces staring back at him. He glanced to his side, and nodded to Sirius and Gazten that this was what he wanted.  
  
"Will you both clean up.that.?" he asked with a shudder, gesturing but not looking towards the fireplace. "I don't want to leave it here for them, and the muggle police would never understand."  
  
"I'll take care of it," Gazten replied with a curt nod.  
  
"Maybe you should take care of that gash too," Sirius began, pointing to Harry's wound while still looking distastefully at the Dursley's. "The quicker we."  
  
"Sirius," Harry interrupted quietly, shaking his head. "I'm going to go out to the kitchen now, you can come if you want." He'd never had any semblance of a real conversation with his aunt and uncle. While whatever they were going to tell him probably wouldn't quite fit under the realistic category, it was better than being yelled at or ordered around. He'd never seen Petunia look so worried about him, and as much as he hated to admit it, he liked the feeling. She was the closest living relative he had, and the idea of someone in his family caring for him was wonderful to Harry, as it was something he'd never experienced.  
  
"I'm so sorry about all of this," Harry said as he followed them into the kitchen he'd grown up in, Sirius close behind him. "I never meant to let anything happen to you.if I'd have known the death eaters would be here."  
  
"You should be sorry," Vernon spat, angrily, his eyes still filled with fear. Harry stepped firmly in front of his godfather, who had balled his hands into fists, glaring dangerously at the large man. "This is exactly why we didn't want to keep you from the start! Brutes like that coming into our home, terrorizing us for."  
  
"Vernon!" Petunia shrieked hoarsely, her eyes wide with fear. She moved very close to her husband and whispered fiercely. "How can you even think of accusing him after what we just saw?" Vernon glared stubbornly back at his wife, his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"I'm going to look in on our son," he hissed, emphasizing the last word while fixing Harry with a menacing stare. "Whose life was put in danger because of his kind," he jerked a thumb at his nephew, before turning from his wife and stalking out of the kitchen.  
  
Sirius was positively shaking with fury and Harry looked at him pleadingly.  
  
"He doesn't deserve the air he breathes," Sirius whispered fiercely, looking through the doorway as Vernon began stomping up the stairs.  
  
"Just give me a few minutes," Harry said quickly, "I promise we won't stay long."  
  
"He should be apologizing to you," Sirius went on, turning to his godson. "He has no right to."  
  
"You're right," Petunia spoke up, cutting in. "We should be apologizing." She looked at Harry sadly, an expression he'd never received from her in his life. "We knew about those men being here. They came to us yesterday evening, knowing you would be arriving today for your trunk."  
  
"Did they say how they knew?" Harry asked. Petunia sighed softly, shaking her head.  
  
"Come and sit here, Harry. Let me get a wet cloth and some antiseptic before that gets infected," she said gesturing towards his head. She turned to the cupboards and pulled open a draw, removing a cloth from it. Moving to the sink, she turned on the faucet, and let it run until the water was quite cold, before dampening the cloth and crossing to where Harry was now sitting across the table from Sirius.  
  
"Let's have a look," she said, moving his blood-drenched sleeve away from his head. He let his hand fall into his lap, feeling her put pressure gently on the wound.  
  
"Thank you," he murmured, feeling somewhat awkward.  
  
"What is it you have to tell us?" Sirius spoke abruptly, and Harry threw him a warning look, but he ignored it, staring intently at Petunia.  
  
"I don't know how much help this will be to you, but I'll tell you what happened," she spoke, as she cleaned the cut. The bleeding had almost stopped from Harry having kept his wrist pressed up against it for so long, and she didn't need to hold the cloth there for very long. Crossing the room, she grabbed a bottle of peroxide from one of the cabinets, and began to explain.  
  
"Last night, we had a knock at our door, very late. As we never have anyone over at that hour, and hadn't been expecting anyone in the first place, we tried to let it go and not answer. But the person was quite persistent and wouldn't give up, so finally Vernon answered the door."  
  
Harry inhaled sharply as the peroxide stung the tender skin around the gash on his head, and gripped the arm of the chair.  
  
"Sorry," Petunia said quickly. "It won't hurt for long."  
  
"It's okay," Harry whispered, "please, continue."  
  
Petunia nodded.  
  
"The person at the door was the one who seemed to be in charge of all the others today. He introduced himself as one Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and said there was a small matter he needed to discuss with us, involving you," she said, looking down at Harry. "Vernon told him you no longer lived here, and that if he wanted to speak with you he should try.your.school." she trailed off, obviously not saying whatever it was her husband had truly said about Hogwart's.  
  
"What did Lucius say?" Sirius pressed.  
  
"He told us you would be coming here, today, for a trunk that had been given to us back when you'd first arrived. We tried to explain you'd already taken all of your belongings and wouldn't be returning, but Mr. Malfoy was quite persistent that there was still this trunk. Vernon finally remembered having buried a large chest sent to us shortly after we found you on our front stoop. He offered to show Mr. Malfoy where it was, told him he could dig it up and take it, but he was having none of that. He told Vernon that he wouldn't be digging it up, we would, and when you came to stall you long enough until they could come for you.and the chest."  
  
"Why did you go along with that?" Sirius asked angrily.  
  
"Because." Petunia said weakly, her eyes glassed over with fear and despair. "Because they threatened to kill us, starting with Dudley, our son."  
  
"It was still wrong of you to not even try to warn him." Sirius trailed off seeing Harry glare angrily at him.  
  
"I'm so sorry Aunt Petunia," Harry began gently as she finished placing the last bandage on his head. "I never meant to get any of you involved in this."  
  
"And I'm sorry we let this happen. I wanted to do something.to stop them.when they.they." she trailed off, shaking her head miserably as if trying to rid herself of the thought. "What they did to you.it looked so painful, so inhuman.so cruel.I'm sorry." She put a hand up to her face, and turned away from the two men. Walking back to the sink, she began to run the water again, splashing it lightly on her face.  
  
"What did they do to you?" Sirius asked evenly, looking seriously at his godson.  
  
"It.he." Harry sighed, not wanting to talk about it. "Lucius used the Cruciatus Curse.for a very long time," he spoke quietly, the effects of the curse still causing a dull pain in his muscles, "too long. I think seeing it must've.scared her," he said, nodding towards his aunt who had shut off the water and was now heading back to them.  
  
Sirius looked nearly murderous at this point, and Harry stared at him earnestly, pleading with him silently to calm down.  
  
"I'm sorry," Petunia laughed nervously. She cleared her throat looking again at Harry.  
  
"You're sure there was nothing else Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked. "Lucius never mentioned anyone telling them I was coming?"  
  
"No, I'm afraid not," Petunia replied softly. "He only told us that you would be here today, and that if we didn't do this." she trailed off, tears again brimming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have to go check on Dudley.you seem better now, is there anything else you need?"  
  
Harry shook his head, standing up slowly.  
  
"No, I'm fine," he answered. "Thank you for this," he said with a small grin, pointing to the bandaged wound.  
  
Petunia nodded once and stepped closer to Harry. For a moment he was under the impression she was going to hug him and had to stop himself from stepping back. It was just too awkward, but as she raised her hands, placing them on his shoulders, she didn't pull him into an embrace, but rather leaned close to his ear and whispered.  
  
"Good-bye Harry. Please don't ever come back."  
  
Harry looked at her, confused and sad as she stepped away from him. She never even gave him a second glance as she turned towards the door, passing Sirius and heading for the stairs. He listened as she ascended the steps, to where Vernon and Dudley were surely waiting for her, and for Harry and the others to leave.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked, seeing the pained expression on his face. Harry nodded, swallowing hard. What did he expect after all? The Dursley's would never accept him as family. Petunia was upset by what she'd seen, but that didn't change her true feelings for him. Meeting his godfather's gaze, he tried to smile.  
  
"C'mon," Sirius continued, walking over and putting a comforting arm around his godson's shoulders. "Let's get out of here."  
  
The ride home was utterly silent, which Harry was quite glad for. He tried to rest for the most part, letting the motion of the car, and his exhaustion from all that had happened, lull him to sleep. When at last they'd arrived at Hogwart's, long after the sun had set for the day, Harry was feeling slightly better.  
  
"I'll get the trunk inside, meet you both upstairs," Sirius said, pulling out his wand. Harry and Gazten merely nodded, and began to ascend the steps. They headed straight for Dumbledore's office and went directly inside when they'd reached it.  
  
"Do you ever go anywhere without getting hurt, Potter?" a nasty voice snarled at them when they entered the office. Harry looked up to see Malfoy standing in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest, looking almost furious.  
  
"How about you ask your father?" Harry shot back, suddenly angry. "He's the one who did this."  
  
"Lucius was there?" another voice asked and Harry turned to see Lupin standing nearby. Glancing quickly around the office, he saw Dumbledore, Cole, Marzia and Neville were also present.  
  
"Several death eaters were," Gazten answered for him, moving into the center of the room. "They set a trap for Harry.they knew he would be there."  
  
"But how?" Marzia asked, her eyes wide. Harry had to stop himself from laughing. During the ride back to the school, he'd had ample time to consider what had happened. Out of the people that knew he was going, Marzia was the only one he didn't trust.and if she were working with Saaneeraa, or being controlled by her in any way.then it would have been easy for her to pass this information along the night before, in time for his visit today.  
  
"We don't know how," he answered stiffly. "Someone obviously told them though.unless they can read minds now."  
  
"It must have been some trap," Cole spoke up then. "Mr. Malfoy here was in a great deal of pain," he said, looking at Draco evenly. "But it was good practice."  
  
Draco glared from Cole to Harry in disgust, his hands balled into fists.  
  
"Everyone just calm down," Dumbledore spoke up then, standing from behind his desk. "Harry, please come sit down, you too Allison. Tell us what happened."  
  
Sirius entered the room then, shutting the door quietly behind him.  
  
"The crystals are in your dorm," he said looking at Harry, who nodded in reply.  
  
"Oh wonderful," Cole said happily. "We will need to begin working with them right away."  
  
"There will be time for that tomorrow, Cole," Dumbledore spoke firmly. "Right now, however, we need Harry to explain what happened today.and then I think it's best he gets some sleep."  
  
Harry looked gratefully at the headmaster, knowing he was not up to starting on the crystals tonight, and began re-telling the events of the day.  
  
That night, Harry went to bed quite early. He finished telling Dumbledore and the others what had happened at the Dursley's, leaving out only what Petunia had said to him at the end. When he'd finished he listened for a short while, as the others discussed what should be done next. There was no doubt someone in the school was leaking information. Someone who could obviously get very close to them as they knew where Harry would be that day, when very few people in the school had been aware of it.  
  
He glanced across the room, where Malfoy was slumped in a chair, as far away from Harry as he could get, looking decidedly angry. Harry did feel somewhat sorry for him, Draco had probably never felt the Cruciatus Curse before, and now that he had, it was more painful for him then it was for Harry himself. Draco looked up to see Harry staring at him, fixing him with a furious glare.  
  
Sighing quietly, Harry shifted his gaze. Marzia was participating animatedly in the discussion the others were having, which made him uneasy. He had to find some way to be sure if she was truly the one working with Saaneeraa. It was too big of an accusation to just place upon someone without being positive, but he was also worried about not doing it soon enough. Today had been too close, and while it was only a death eater who had lost their life, it was still someone dying, and it could've been much worse.  
  
Dumbledore looked up from the conversation at the students still in the office.  
  
"Why don't you three get some rest now?" he asked gently. "There are things we need to discuss and you don't need to worry yourselves with any more than you have to right now."  
  
"Fine by me," Malfoy said, jumping up from his chair. He stalked past Harry and Neville, and strode through the door, stomping down the stairs, angrily.  
  
Harry and Neville exchanged knowing glances, rolling their eyes at Draco's behavior. They said goodnight to the others, before heading downstairs themselves, and starting towards the Gryffindor tower.  
  
"I see Malfoy is handling this just as I expected he would," Harry said, walking slowly beside his friend.  
  
"Well," Neville began. "He actually wasn't doing too badly earlier.Cole was working with him, showing him the same magic Allison had shown to me, when suddenly everything changed. He fell to the floor, screaming.something was hurting him horribly and it was nothing either Cole or I could see. We knew it had to be from you, but it was so painful Malfoy wasn't even listening as Cole tried to explain to him what to do." Neville trailed off, staring straight ahead. Harry could see a far away look in his eyes, almost watching the scene play over in his head.  
  
"I.I don't know what to say." he stammered, feeling guilty all of a sudden. "If I hadn't provoked Lucius.he probably wouldn't have."  
  
"Stop it Harry!" Neville shouted abruptly, making Harry jump. He stopped walking and turned to face him. "You blame yourself for everything that happens.and I think you need to face the fact that there are things in life you cannot prevent, no matter what you do. If you stop something from happening once, it doesn't mean it won't happen again later. Things happen that you don't want to.sometimes it ends tragically, other times it doesn't, but you can't keep believing everything is your fault.you just can't."  
  
He stopped speaking suddenly, and an awkward silence fell over the two of them. Neville stared cautiously at Harry, his cheeks blushing furiously, and Harry looked down at the floor, his shoulders drooped.  
  
"I'm.I'm sorry." Neville spoke, seeing how sad Harry now seemed.  
  
"Don't be," Harry spoke hoarsely. "You're entitled to your opinion."  
  
He looked up then at Neville, feeling tears in his eyes. Neville didn't know what it felt like, when someone died because of something you did, whether you intended it to happen or not.it wasn't something you just got over. And what had happened with Cho was far too recent for him to just forget about. He averted his eyes quickly and turned away, walking up the hall in silence. Neville looked after him for a moment, before beginning to follow him.  
  
While his friends had been waiting up for him, Harry didn't much feel like explaining everything again. He told them he was too tired and needed to sleep, and that if they wanted to know what had happened they could ask Neville. He felt bad about brushing them off, but after the events of the day, and the mood he was in thanks to Neville's comments, he wanted nothing to do with anyone right now. Changing quickly, he slipped into bed, noticing the chest of crystals next to his trunk, before pulling the curtains around him. Despite having slept in the car, he fell asleep almost instantly.  
  
The next morning, he felt himself being shaken awake gently, and he rolled over slowly, hearing a familiar voice calling his name.  
  
"C'mon Harry, we have to get you started with your training," Gazten spoke in a low voice, not wanting to wake anyone else in the room.  
  
"Wh-what t-t-time is it?" Harry asked, trying to stifle a yawn while giving a large stretch.  
  
"Seven o'clock," she replied handing him his glasses. Under normal circumstances, Harry would object to being woken so early during a holiday, but he did no such thing. Nodding absently, he pushed the covers away and swung his legs over the side. Gazten went to wait for him downstairs, levitating the trunk behind her. Changing quickly, he grabbed his wand and watch off the table out of habit, and raced through the door after her.  
  
"Where are we going to do this?" he asked as they walked stepped through the portrait hole together and into the hallway.  
  
"We're going to use the dark arts classroom for now," Gazten replied, grinning down at him. "In the event you might lose control.or something.it has a good supply of antidotes and elixirs."  
  
"Will the crystals be dangerous?" Harry asked, feeling worry creep up inside him. "I thought they were supposed to teach me."  
  
"Harry," Gazten cut him off softly. "We're only doing this as a precaution. I highly doubt anything will go so wrong that we'll need an antidote, but better safe than sorry."  
  
Harry nodded faintly, still feeling much more tense than he was a moment ago, but kept his pace steady with Gazten's, until at last they reached the classroom.  
  
"Here we are," she said quickly, setting the trunk down and waving her wand. The candles throughout the room lit at once, casting a warm glow across the room.  
  
"Now," she continued, gesturing to Harry to come closer. They knelt beside the trunk together, and she turned to look at him. "Open it."  
  
Harry turned to meet her gaze, puzzled.  
  
"How?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know," Gazten replied. "You're the Psion, and as such the only person who can get this trunk to unlock."  
  
Harry spun his gaze again to the chest, and the large keyhole that blared tauntingly back at him.  
  
"I don't suppose.using my wand." he began, reaching a hand into his pocket and wrapping his fingers around his wand.  
  
"Psions don't need wands," Gazten said curtly. "Don't bother."  
  
Harry nodded, sighing faintly. He was off to a great stop. Reaching his hands out in front of him, he began to feel around the sides of the chest, looking for a hidden switch.a key.anything, but the surface was utterly devoid of any such clues.  
  
Hesitantly, he extended a finger, pushing it into the keyhole ever so slowly, hoping there was no surprise waiting for him. He kept pushing until his finger hit the back of the lock. Unable to move any further, he started feeling around from side to side in the tiny keyhole, but couldn't find any trigger to release or button to push. Removing his finger from the hole, he stared at the trunk in frustration.  
  
"I don't know what else to do," he muttered, glancing at Gazten before bending forward to look inside the keyhole. "I can't find anything that will."  
  
He stopped abruptly as his eye stopped in front of the lock, and an eerie silver light began to glow inside. Every crack on the chest began to light up as Harry jumped back, startled, and they both heard a loud click, as the catch finally popped, and the lid began to open slowly.  
  
Harry's breath caught in his throat as the trunk lid swung to a stop, now completely open. He leant forward, peering cautiously inside, almost expecting something to jump out at him.  
  
"Wonderful," Gazten spoke suddenly, startling him. He jumped back and turned to look at her. She was smiling warmly back at him. "You figured it out much sooner than I'd expected."  
  
Harry grinned at the compliment, shrugging modestly, before glancing back at the trunk.  
  
"What now?" he asked, expectantly.  
  
"Now, you introduce yourself to them," she replied. Harry looked at her questioningly.  
  
"How exactly do I do that?" he asked.  
  
"Actually, you won't have to do much of anything," Gazten answered, she shifted in her spot, crossing her legs in front of her as she went on. "You see, there are fourteen crystals altogether. Each one embodies a specific emotion or trait, such as courage, knowledge and fear. You and you alone will be able to communicate with the crystals, and ask their advice whenever you wish. Sometimes, they will give it even when it is not requested. While they may not always agree with each other, they will all be trying to do what's in your best interest, leaving the final decision, ultimately, up to you."  
  
"Sounds confusing," Harry said uncertainly.  
  
Gazten laughed softly.  
  
"I agree," she smiled. "But at least for you, the confusion won't last long. You will be able to see and feel what I'm talking about, where as I will only ever have that explanation."  
  
"What about what Cole was talking about?" Harry asked suddenly. "He said I would be able to channel energy through the crystals.to do magic."  
  
"First things first Harry," Gazten said. "This entire process is going to take quite some time, and before we can get into anything as powerful as that, you need to introduce yourself to the crystals. Now before you do that, I must warn you, the crystals will need to form a bond with you. When you touch them, one at a time, the crystal will absorb a splinter of your personality, for whichever emotion it embodies. The courage will draw from your courage; fear from your fear.and so on. The only downside being, you will be overwhelmed momentarily, by that particular emotion, as it is being drawn from you. This is the only time, however, that you will have no control over that. Once you have bonded with them, you can draw from them as you wish, the key is, to use the emotions wisely."  
  
Harry nodded, still feeling very uneasy about everything, but at the same time, excited. He exhaled slowly, and looked back to the trunk.  
  
"Okay," he said quietly, tentatively reaching down into the chest, "here goes nothing."  
  
Harry reached down to where a thick cloth, yellowed with age, was spread out covering the contents of the trunk. He pulled it away absently to uncover what he'd been looking for. The fourteen psicrystals lay side by side in two even rows at the bottom of the chest. They were nestled into heaps of the thick fabric that had been covering them, to keep them from rolling about.  
  
"Wow," he breathed faintly, taking in the sight. They were absolutely stunning. Fourteen crystals, each the size of his two hands folded together, shimmering and shining like new. They reminded him of large diamonds, and as the candlelight reflected off of them, Harry could see the rainbow prisms of light that sparkled from each delicately cut corner. "They're amazing," he said, not taking his eyes off of them.  
  
"That they are," Gazten replied with a grin. "Now, it's time to begin. Are you ready?"  
  
Harry nodded, so captivated by the crystals he could not have turned away if he wanted to. Bringing up his hand again, he lowered it towards the closest stone, hesitating for just a moment, his fingers hovering anxiously above it, before finally closing them around the cool surface of the crystal.  
  
The result was immediate. Harry felt a jolt of energy flow through him for mere seconds, when suddenly sweat formed along his brown and running down his face, stinging his eyes, he began to shake fiercely, inexplicably afraid. He wanted to drop the crystal, to run and hide, everyone was after him, he was going to die, to suffocate, to drown.he needed to get away, get away now!  
  
"Stop!" he screamed, trying to get away, shoving himself violently away from the trunk. "Stop, please make it stop.make it."  
  
"Harry!" Gazten yelled over his cries, grabbing him firmly. "Harry, you have to control your emotions!"  
  
"I can't I can't.I.I." he began trying to shrug her away at first, but slowly calming down. "I.what." he was breathing heavy, wiping sweat from his eyes, he sat back up. "What was that?" he asked, feeling exhausted and shaken. "What just happened?"  
  
He looked down at the stone in his hand, now glowing a deep shade of green.  
  
"It appears." she began, straightening up where she sat as well, "that you picked the fear crystal first. Unfortunately not the best choice, but you can't be expected to tell them apart just yet."  
  
"That.that won't happen every time, right?" he asked, praying for her to say no.  
  
"That won't happen ever again when you touch that crystal, no. The rush of emotion you felt will happen, but not for fear. You will see what happens as you continue."  
  
"Do you really want to go through that again? Get out while you can!"  
  
"Excuse me?" Harry asked, looking around uncertainly. He was positive he'd heard someone speak, but didn't see anyone besides Gazten.  
  
"Are you listening to me? Go!"  
  
"Who's there?" Harry asked, looking around wildly. He glanced at Gazten to see if she heard it too, but found her smiling back at him.  
  
"Harry, calm down. No one else is here. The voice you're hearing, is the fear crystal."  
  
"But.then why."  
  
"What was it saying?" she asked.  
  
"It was saying I should get out of here now, so that wouldn't happen again."  
  
"Exactly, because it now possesses a splinter of your personality. It knows you didn't like what just happened, and being the embodiment of fear, is telling you to run."  
  
"So.that's how they communicate with me?" Harry asked, still feeling dazed and looking warily at the crystal. "But, you didn't hear it. Everyone's gonna think I'm nuts, walking around talking to myself."  
  
"No, they won't," Gazten smiled. "They can read your thoughts. You don't have to speak if you don't want to."  
  
"Oh," Harry replied simply. He looked down again at the crystal in his hand, still glowing green, before placing it gently back into the trunk.  
  
"Are you ready for the next one?" Gazten asked. "Or do you need a break."  
  
Harry looked up at her, determinedly. "No, I don't need a break," he said. He moved his hand to the next crystal, taking a long, deep breath, this time a bit more prepared for what was about to happen, before closing his fingers over the crystal.  
  
As he expected, the jolt of energy shot through him again, causing him to sway from the force of it. He began to scan the room anxiously, seeing every crevice and crack along the walls. He could almost hear each individual flame flickering on all the candles surrounding him. His breathing was strong and measured, and he could hear Gazten's just as clearly as his own. Catching movement out of the corner of his eyes, he turned to see a small mouse flitting about under the instructor's desk. It raised itself up on it's hind legs and wiped at its snout with its paws, and Harry could hear the scraping sound it made as if the mouse were performing this action in the palm of his hand.  
  
Suddenly, everything snapped back to normal. The walls appeared regular, he could barely hear his breathing, and the mouse was just a speck across the room, under the desk.  
  
"Did you see that?" a strange voice floated up to him, sounding curious.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Yes, I did," he replied faintly, looking down at the crystal, which was now glowing light orange.  
  
"That seemed to go much better," Gazten spoke up. "What happened?"  
  
Harry explained quickly about the clarity in which he'd seen and heard everything in the room, finishing with what the crystal had asked him.  
  
"The observant crystal," Gazten stated. "Will definitely be useful when you know how to use it."  
  
Harry nodded, placing it back in the trunk, watching the glow fade. He grabbed hold of the next crystal without hesitation, followed by another rush of energy.  
  
Out of nowhere, he was overcome with the urge to fight. He wanted to punch something, to rip it apart. He glared angrily at Gazten and she stared evenly back at him, tensing as she saw the look in his eyes. She pulled out her wand, pointing it at him, refusing to break eye contact.  
  
Eyeing her suspiciously, he lowered his gaze to the wand, weighing his chances of getting it away from her, when suddenly the feeling began to diminish. He looked immediately down at the crystal, glowing red, and felt he already knew what this one was for.  
  
"What's wrong with you? Are you chicken? After everything that's been done to you someone else needs to feel some pain!"  
  
Harry flinched away from the snarling voice, very much hoping to never hear it again.  
  
"Anger?" he asked, looking at Gazten. "Is there an anger crystal?"  
  
She nodded once.  
  
"I figured as much, by the look in your eyes. You were ready to fight, and I mean ready."  
  
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly, lowering his head. He quickly placed the crystal back in the trunk, not wanting to think about what he could have done if it had lasted any longer. He glanced quickly at the next crystal, hoping for it to be a good emotion, before scooping it up in his hand.  
  
As soon as his fingers touched the crystal Harry felt an immense pressure in his head. He winced in pain but it subsided almost instantly. Images began to flash through his mind, so quickly he could barely keep track. Everything he'd ever seen, ever known, ever done, was playing back to him in short clips, starting with his earliest memories. He saw his parents, smiling down at him, followed by a green flash of light. Then the Dursley's yelling at him, Dudley teasing him, Hagrid telling him he was a wizard, meeting Ron, Hermione, Draco, Images from school, with friends and enemies, quidditch matches and class experiments alike. His breath caught in his throat as Cho flashed briefly in front of him, he saw her as she was the first time he'd ever laid eyes on her, in her quidditch robes on the pitch, but it passed quickly. It went on like this for seconds that felt like hours, memories from his past, and soon they were too fast to see anymore, colors swirled in his head and he wanted to shut them out, make them stop pounding in his skull, and at long last they did.  
  
He opened his eyes and blinked several times, wanting to be sure the images were truly finished.  
  
"What happened that time?" Gazten asked gently.  
  
"I saw.everything," he said slowly. "Anyone I'd ever looked at, or talked to, anyplace I've been.everything."  
  
"Then that," she said pointing to the crystal, now glowing faintly yellow, "is your memory crystal.  
  
"Well, what's it good for?" Harry asked. "I mean, if it's only my memories."  
  
"The crystal will remember everything you've ever done, seen or heard Harry. Things you think you've forgotten can be resurfaced by means of the memory crystal. It can be one of the more powerful ones, when properly used.  
  
Harry shrugged, not really seeing how it could truly be that useful, but not about to argue the matter. He placed the crystal back into the trunk, the glow fading quickly, wondering why it didn't talk to him as the others had done. He moved his hand to the next in line, and pulled the crystal out of the box, grasping it tightly.  
  
The now familiar rush of energy swept through him, and he waited for the new emotion to take over.  
  
Suddenly he began to have strange thoughts. He wanted to spy, to sneak around the school, to hear things that no one would say in front of him. He glanced around the room, spotting several hiding spots where he could effortlessly slip into unnoticed and eavesdrop. A sly smile crossed his lips as he thought of all he could discover, before the feeling began to fade away, diminishing slowly.  
  
He shook his head of the thoughts as a voice drifted up to him.  
  
"There's so many things being kept from you, but they don't have to be."  
  
"Oh good, that's just what I need," Harry replied sardonically. "A ticket to detention."  
  
He looked up to see Gazten looking questioningly at him.  
  
"So, is there an eavesdropping crystal?" he asked, placing the now silvery gray stone back into the box, watching as it faded.  
  
"The sneak crystal," Gazten said with a grin. "Another one that could come in handy, just don't abuse the power it gives you. It can be very tempting."  
  
Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"I can definitely believe that," he said, looking back at the crystal. No, he thought, before allowing himself to consider the possibility too long. You are not going to use it unless it's necessary.  
  
Pulling his gaze from the crystal again, he moved on to the next one.  
  
As his fingers closed around the sixth crystal and the new emotion took over, he suddenly started to think of excuses. Reasons to get away from Gazten, leave the room, avoid his friends, skip his classes, put off homework. Lies and deceptions were filling his head, things he could use to get out of trouble, though surely would only get him in deeper when he was found out. The urge was so strong, he was about to look to Gazten, tell her he had to leave, he was sick, and it would have worked too. He knew without a doubt that he could be very convincing in his act, and she would believe him to be ill, but forced the thought from his head, as at last the feeling began to grow fainter.  
  
"Now this could be useful for divination," he said with a grin, looking up at Gazten.  
  
"How so?" she asked, smiling.  
  
"Well," he began almost sheepishly. "Professor Trelawny really doesn't.explain things very clearly," he said, trying to remain polite. He was after all talking to one instructor about another. "And sometimes.we have to make up our.predictions," he continued, shrugging apologetically.  
  
"I can completely understand," Gazten laughed at his expression. "Divination, I'm afraid, can't really be taught. If you're a seer, you are born with the ability. If you aren't.well, I guess then you teach others about it." she trailed off, smiling widely. Harry stared at her in amazement, unable to keep from laughing at her comment.  
  
"Just don't tell her I said that," she said, winking.  
  
"You're secret's safe with me," Harry replied. "So," he continued. "This must be a lying crystal then?"  
  
"Oh good, a smart one." a sardonic voice answered.  
  
Harry looked down at the crystal, which was letting off an eerie black glow, both bemused and insulted.  
  
"Excuse me?" he asked.  
  
"I didn't say anything."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"Oh marvelous, this one will be such a joy, I can tell."  
  
"Liar."  
  
"What?" Harry cried. He opened his mouth to continue then clamped it shut. What am I doing? Arguing with a rock? He shook his head, feeling stupid, and lowered the crystal back into the box.  
  
"Go with that feeling."  
  
"Shut up," Harry hissed, dropping the stone back into place, watching the black light fade.  
  
"The liar crystal," Gazten spoke up then, and Harry caught the amusement in her tone, "another very tempting power."  
  
"Actually, I think I'd be happy not touching it again," he replied, glaring down at the crystal. Pulling his gaze away, he looked at the last crystal in that row and reached for it.  
  
The next crystal filled him with such a sense of concern it was almost unbearable. He looked at Gazten, seeing her watching him, wondering if she was alright.  
  
He wanted to make sure she was comfortable, safe, secure. His thoughts centered on her well-being, wondering what he could do to ensure she remained as she was, at ease and unharmed.  
  
The feeling began to diminish suddenly, and he looked down at the crystal, now emitting a pink glow.  
  
"Pink, ey?" Gazten said. "I would bet everything that would be the caring crystal."  
  
"I wouldn't bet against you," Harry replied, feeling somewhat awkward. He was supremely thankful the emotion had faded before he'd had the chance to speak to her, and embarrass himself.  
  
"You need rest, time to recuperate, relax. Don't push yourself."  
  
"Oy," Harry said, dropping the stone quickly and turning away from it. The last thing he needed or wanted right now was pity, and coming from a crystal as well. No thank you.  
  
"I hope the next one isn't so sappy," he commented as he reached up to the next row, grasping the first crystal in line. As the rush of energy passed, he began to feel very creative. Quidditch and chess didn't interest him, but rather poetry, painting, dance. He felt he could do any of these effortlessly, as if he were born for that specific purpose. The feeling didn't last long however, shorter than any of the others, and he looked up at Gazten when it had faded.  
  
"Um.an artistic one.maybe?" he asked, as the crystal glowed violet in his grasp.  
  
"The artiste crystal," she replied with a nod. "Didn't last very long, did it?"  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"You relate to all the crystals on a different stage. Different levels of necessity. Each Psion has their own qualities and talents that they are born with. You, not being very artistic, will relate to that one on a lesser level. It doesn't mean you can't have that trait, it just means you don't consider it as one of the more important ones."  
  
"So I relate closer with lying and sneaking around?" he asked.  
  
"You tell me," she replied with a smirk.  
  
Harry merely grinned back at her.  
  
"Firm hands.so many things you could build.create.."  
  
"Not today," Harry said with a shrug, already realizing how little he cared about that one. He looked to the next crystal, anxiously, and lifted it out of the trunk.  
  
This time he was filled with the feeling to be obedient. He had the sudden urge to find the headmaster and make sure they were allowed to use this room while there were no classes in session. Breaking rules was utterly out of the question and he went so far as to lift himself off the floor, taking a step towards the door, before the feeling faded.  
  
"Where were you going?" Gazten asked as he turned around, questioningly.  
  
Harry had to laugh at what he'd been about to do.  
  
"To ask Dumbledore if we were actually allowed in here. I was worried about breaking a rule.or something. What crystal is this?" he asked, holding up the pale blue gem.  
  
"The meticulous crystal. It pays serious attention to detail, and is adamant about rules and customs. You only felt half of what it's capable of."  
  
"Well why do I need this when I've got Hermione?" Harry joked. "There isn't a rule she doesn't have memorized. And she can remember the smallest of details."  
  
"Now you can too," Gazten replied. "If you want to."  
  
"Are you sure you should be here? You might need to wear safety gear in this room.are there any creatures about that could be a hazard? What will you do if."  
  
"Okay," Harry said with finality, dropping the crystal back into its spot. "The nagging crystal is a better name, I think."  
  
"Hey," Gazten spoke up with a grin. "They're all pieces of your personality here. You insult them, you're only insulting yourself."  
  
"Yes but they're magnified pieces," he shot back with a smile. Looking back into the trunk, he moved his hand towards the next crystal.  
  
As soon as he gripped it everything in the room seemed to darken except the crystal. He saw it in his hand, standing out against his dim surroundings, unable to hear or see anything else. The floor below, the ceiling above and the walls around him were gone. If someone else was in the room with him, he couldn't tell. He could see only the crystal, and it was all he cared about. Its gleaming surface was magnificent, and the detail with which it had been cut was exquisite. He was taken aback by how stunning it appeared to be, when suddenly everything came rushing back.  
  
He sat up straight, looking around curiously, before settling his gaze on Gazten.  
  
"You were leaning awful close to that crystal there, Harry," she commented, nodding towards the stone, which had absolutely no color to it. The crystal was as clear as the sky on a cloudless day, and you could see through it almost as if it weren't there.  
  
"You were gone," Harry replied. The room, the light.everything. It was just the crystal and I."  
  
Then that's the focus crystal. It allows you to focus on the task at hand, and since you were introducing yourself to it, the crystal itself was the task."  
  
"You better stop all this needless chatter. There are four more crystals in that box."  
  
Harry chuckled softly as he laid the crystal back in its spot.  
  
"So basically it will keep your mind from wandering, right?" he asked.  
  
"To put it simply, yes," Gazten replied. "But remember.you are being overwhelmed with these emotions now, but this is the only time that will happen. When you are using them after this, all you will receive is their advice, and when you make a decision on whose advice to take, that is when you can utilize their power."  
  
Harry nodded, not sure he understood completely, but knowing he would probably learn it soon enough. The crystal was right however, there were four more to go. He lowered his hand again into the trunk, reaching for the next stone.  
  
The surge of energy that flowed through him was promptly followed by a rush of confidence. He felt he could accomplish anything with ease. No matter what the lesson was, he would breeze through it. The battle would be won and he would be victorious. The feeling was intoxicating, addicting. He was invincible.  
  
"Whoa," he said shakily as the emotion subsided. "That was.I mean.I felt.like I couldn't lose."  
  
"Like you couldn't lose." Gazten mused. "I would think that's most likely the confidence crystal."  
  
"Most likely?" Harry asked. "You don't seem sure this time."  
  
"Well, I didn't experience what you did, so I can't be positive. However, there are two that are very similar to each other. Confidence is one of the two, and I'm pretty sure it's the one you just felt."  
  
Harry looked down at the deep blue crystal, curiously.  
  
"There's nothing you can't do.you are more powerful than they are."  
  
"What's the one it's close to?" he asked, not taking his eyes from the gem.  
  
"Let's just wait," Gazten said. "You only have three left, when you come across it, I'm sure you'll know."  
  
Harry looked from Gazten to the confidence crystal and back. He raised his hand and lowered the stone back into the trunk, before moving it over to the next one. Hovering above it for just a second, he grasped the crystal and pulled it out of the box.  
  
The resulting emotion was almost identical to what he'd felt a few moments ago. The same feelings of confidence filled him, the same exhilaration. But something was off by a hair. The sensation of being invulnerable was there, but his will to be the victor was much stronger. So much to the point that anyone who might be harmed by his actions was inconsequential. He would do whatever it took, no matter what the cost. No price was too high, not even another life.  
  
When the emotion finally eased, fading quickly, Harry's hands were shaking.  
  
"I don't." he began. "I don't want to use this one. Ever."  
  
Gazten's eyes flickered to the coppery looking stone, before she raised them to meet Harry's  
  
"Resolve," she said simply. "Your resolve will be unbreakable with the aid of that crystal."  
  
"So I gathered," Harry said curtly. "But.it was so.callous."  
  
"Not callous," Gazten interjected. "Determined."  
  
"Whatever it was."  
  
"What are you complaining about? You have the power to control. To rule. Anything you want is yours."  
  
Harry shuddered involuntarily.  
  
"It sounds like.like Voldemort," he whispered. Not wanting to touch the crystal any longer, he lowered it back into the chest eagerly, letting it plop into place.  
  
"The key is not to use it as Voldemort would," Gazten said gently. "You have amazing power Harry. More so than you can even imagine. There will be times when this crystal can give you the best advice, please don't disregard it before you've given it a chance."  
  
Harry nodded, noncommittally. He was afraid of what could happen, what he could do, if he let that feeling take control again. It was just too frightening to think about. Forcing these thoughts from his mind, he reached for the next crystal.  
  
As his fingers closed around it and the energy pulsed through him, he found himself doubting everything. Looking at Gazten, his mind began to race. Could he trust her? He hadn't known her for very long.but she was helping right now. Was it all an act? If so, then why? Was there something she could gain from doing this? Moreover, would that be the reason.or was there something else.  
  
Harry felt the feeling diminishing and looked down to the pale green stone in his hand.  
  
"Sounds familiar," he quipped, unsure of his feelings for this crystal.  
  
"What does?" Gazten asked.  
  
"Well, it just made everything seem very.shifty. It was suspicious.but confusingly so." he trailed off, hesitating. "But it sorta reminded me of talking with Ron and Hermione.when we're trying to figure something out."  
  
"The psychological crystal," Gazten stated, with a smirk at Harry's comment. "Probably the most puzzling of the lot. Each stone has its specific trait, but the psychological one analyzes every angle, sometimes thinking of questions you wouldn't normally think to ask."  
  
"Sounds like a headache to me," Harry said, looking back down at the gem.  
  
"Too many strangers here." was all the crystal said. Harry looked at it, baffled, but it remained silent.  
  
"Something wrong?" Gazten asked, seeing his expression.  
  
"No," Harry replied, shaking his head. "No, everything's fine. Like you said, I guess. Puzzling."  
  
He shrugged it off, placing the stone back in the chest gently, before settling his gaze on the last crystal.  
  
"Last one," he murmured to himself, before wrapping his fingers around the crystal tightly.  
  
A jolt of energy and emotion unlike any he had felt up until now consumed him. He cried out, not in pain or alarm, but in awe. Everything that he had ever feared in his life began to surround him. He felt the presence of dementors and could see death eaters everywhere. But in the center of it all, staring straight at him, was Voldemort. The dark wizard was smiling down at him, the glowing red eyes piercing straight into Harry's soul, but he was not afraid. He pushed himself up and stood to face his enemy, sure of only one thing, that this was the way it had to be. No matter who won the battle, or the war, it would ultimately come to this. He would face Voldemort, no matter how afraid he was for himself or those he loved.  
  
The emotion did not fade as the others had, it ended abruptly and harshly, and Harry took a step forward to catch his balance. The crystal in his hand had a deep gold color to it, shimmering brilliantly.  
  
"Courage," he stated, not needing to ask.  
  
"Yes," Gazten confirmed, firmly. "The last one. And seemingly, the one you relate to the strongest. I could feel the power.the energy, all emanating from you."  
  
"You.you could?" Harry asked, smiling.  
  
Gazten grinned warmly, before her expression turned serious once more.  
  
"Be careful Harry. Courage is truly a wonderful trait to possess, but if you aren't careful with the power, if you don't use it properly, you will lose. Your personality is split among the fourteen stones, and if you rely heavily on one or two of them, it will result in your defeat."  
  
"How do I learn then?" Harry asked. "I remember Cole saying the crystals will teach me."  
  
"That they will," Gazten said. "You won't be starting that today though, Cole and I need time to prepare."  
  
"I don't understand," Harry began. "If the crystals are going to teach me then what do you need to do? What are you going to prepare?"  
  
"The crystals need a reason to teach you Harry," Gazten answered. "They won't do anything if you're just sitting in a classroom holding them."  
  
"A reason?" he asked, feeling strangely nervous.  
  
"Don't think about it right now," Gazten replied. "You did wonderful today, kept control very well over everything. For now I think it's best you take the crystals back to your dorm and then go to the headmaster's office."  
  
"Professor Dumbledore? But."  
  
"He asked that you stop in to see him," Gazten cut in, "when we'd finished. I'm sure he's anxious to hear how it went.among other things."  
  
"Right," Harry replied, feeling silly, thinking he probably should've known that to begin with. "I guess.that's it then?" he asked, feeling somewhat torn. He was definitely tired from the literal whirlwind of emotions, but at the same time, he'd enjoyed the time spent introducing himself. He was somewhat unwilling to stop working with the crystals now, but after what Gazten had said, could find no reason to argue. No use in sitting around holding them when nothing would come of it, though he hoped whatever they needed to prepare could be set up soon.  
  
"I will let you know when you can start your training, I promise it won't be long," Gazten said, smiling warmly, seeing the expression on his face. "Did you have any other questions?"  
  
Harry shook his head slowly.  
  
"Not right now, anyway," he shrugged, grinning.  
  
"Well if any come up, please feel free to come find me, I'll try to answer anything I can."  
  
"Thank you," Harry replied with a nod. "I'll see you later then," he said as he closed the trunk, hearing the lock click. Using his wand, he levitated it up, and directed its movement in front of him, heading towards the Gryffindor tower.  
  
When he stepped through the portrait hole, before he could even head for the stairs to the dorms, Harry heard his name. Looking up, he saw Ron, Hermione and Ginny, all standing near their chairs, as if they had just gotten up when they saw him enter, beckoning for him to join them.  
  
"I can't," he called, shrugging apologetically. "I need to go see Dumbledore." Before any of them could argue, he turned away and started up the stairs. His stomach was knotting over the idea of talking to his friends. He just knew they'd bring up Cho, and he didn't want to think about that right now. He missed them terribly, but he wasn't up to the discussion he knew would ensue, everything felt better when his mind was occupied with other matters.  
  
Placing the trunk on the side of his bed, he heard footsteps coming into the room behind him, and turned to see Ron.  
  
"What's going on Harry?" he asked, seemingly pleasant, but the look in his eyes told Harry he was more than concerned.  
  
"I told you," he replied casually. "I need to go speak with Dumbledore. He asked me to come see him after the lesson this morning."  
  
"Oh," Ron replied, disappointed. "Well do you want me to come?"  
  
Harry shook his head immediately.  
  
"No, thank you," he said evenly. "He asked me to come, I don't know if he wants to talk to me alone."  
  
"I could walk you there then," Ron pressed. "I'll just turn back when we get to."  
  
"Ron," Harry interrupted firmly. "Thank you, but no. I'm perfectly capable of walking through the school on my own."  
  
"I wasn't implying that you couldn't," Ron said, holding his arms out to his sides. "I just."  
  
"I have to go Ron," Harry said suddenly, feeling a fresh wave of grief pass over him. The look in Ron's eyes was plain as day and Harry didn't want to be pitied. What good could come of crying, in front of Ron no less? He didn't want to have his friends see him like that.  
  
Stepping past Ron, he headed for the door without looking back, and went downstairs. Hermione and Ginny called to him, but he waved politely, before escaping through the portrait hole again.  
  
He moved quickly, wanting to get to the headmaster's office before any of his friends could follow him, if they were even going to try. Why couldn't they just see he needed time? Talking about what happened any more than he already had was not top on his list of things to do. Cho was dead, end of story.  
  
Before he knew it, the stone gargoyle was in sight, and he trotted the last few feet before reaching it. After giving the password and watching it swing aside, he started up the stairs to the office, only to stop dead in his tracks, as his path was suddenly blocked. 


	18. Chapter 18

Directly in front of Harry, now descending the stairs, were three men in black cloaks. Thinking they were death eaters, he shoved his hand into his pockets for his wand, but upon taking a closer look at their faces, he saw something that made him gasp. They had no eyes. He could see dark, empty sockets where there should have been eyes. Their skin was so pale he didn't think it had any color to it.  
  
As the three of them reached the step before the one he was on, Harry suddenly came to his senses. Staggering backward, almost tripping, he caught his balance, and prepared to take off, to find help, when a familiar voice called out to him.  
  
"It's alright Harry, they're on our side."  
  
"Cole?" Harry asked, spinning around and looking up. He saw the older man coming down the stairs now, a wide grin spread across his face.  
  
"You got it kiddo," he said, passing the three men and stopping in front of Harry, "it's just me, no bad guys here."  
  
"What.who are they?" Harry stammered, looking nervously at the men, who were standing quite still, waiting.  
  
"They are going to help patrol and protect the school," Cole explained. "They're called Inquisitors."  
  
Harry nodded absently at Cole, unable to take his eyes from the three dark figures. Lowering his voice, he whispered, "Where are their eyes?"  
  
"They don't have any," Cole replied simply, smiling at Harry. "Nor do they have a tongue, or ear drums, the ability to smell or feel."  
  
Harry's jaw dropped and Cole couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"Then.how.?" Harry began.  
  
"Dumbledore will explain what you need to know," Cole interrupted with a smirk. "I'm off to show them the school, there will be more arriving shortly, and it's best they start patrolling right away." He paused for a moment, before his expression became serious. "You did wonderful this morning Harry. I was quite impressed. Most Psions can never make it through the introduction process as effortlessly as you did today."  
  
"Well I wouldn't say effortlessly." Harry trailed off, looking questioningly at Cole. "Hang on, you were there? Or did Allison."  
  
"I was there, yes," Cole replied. "I would never let Allison go about training you alone, she's very strong, but if something were to happen.well, her powers alone might not be strong enough."  
  
"Could it really have been that bad.?" Harry asked, feeling quite thankful nothing had gone wrong.  
  
Cole nodded, solemnly.  
  
"In the past, people have lost their lives the first time a Psion came in contact with their psicrystals. You are not the first to go through the process without a casualty, but due to how little you knew about your powers, and how old you were when you finally gained control of them, the ease with which you got through it was amazing. You are truly, very powerful."  
  
Harry stared up at Cole, speechless. He hadn't realized how much of a risk there had truly been.  
  
"Will it always be that dangerous?" he asked, quietly.  
  
The smile came back to Cole's face as he shook his head.  
  
"No, not at all. The crystals know you, are part of you, and as such will not be considered as much of a danger."  
  
"Good," Harry breathed, feeling deeply relieved. He smiled up at Cole, before glancing again at the Inquisitors.  
  
"Can I.well.will they."  
  
"They won't hurt you Harry," Cole said, reading his mind. "You can pass, I really need to get them going anyway."  
  
"And about the training." Harry said, still anxious to start it.  
  
"Allison and I will be starting on it immediately. As soon as it's been prepared, you will know. We don't want to put this off."  
  
"Good, thank you," Harry said sincerely. He said good-bye to Cole, and started again up the stairs, holding his breath as he passed the Inquisitors. He almost expected to feel cold, empty, sad.as you would for a dementor. However, nothing happened, and before he knew it, he was at the top of the stairs. Glancing down at the empty stairwell, he sighed inwardly, and pushed the door open.  
  
Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his desk, bent over some papers, looked up as he heard the door open.  
  
"Hello Harry," he smiled, his eyes warm and kind. "Please come in, have a seat."  
  
"Thank you professor," Harry replied pleasantly, crossing the room to the chair nearest the desk and lowering himself into it.  
  
"I heard you did well this morning," the headmaster began. Harry nodded, grinning.  
  
"From what Cole told me, yes."  
  
"Yes, indeed you did. You ran into him on your way here, I expect?"  
  
"Um.yes." Harry began. "He and the Inquisitors. At least that's what I think he called them."  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Yes, the Inquisitors."  
  
"What are they?" Harry asked quickly. "Why don't they have any.er.anything?"  
  
A bemused smile crossed Dumbledore's face as He looked down at Harry.  
  
"They don't need any, anything, as you put it. Their senses died when they became Inquisitors, essentially giving up their lives for their chosen path."  
  
"Wait.so, they're dead?" Harry asked, stunned.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"Not dead, no. They no longer lead their life as a normal person would. You see, they are priests of Faerun, and as such give up certain lifestyles that others take for granted, to worship their deity."  
  
"But why do they have to lose their eyes?" Harry asked. "Or their hearing.why give up so much?"  
  
"It is the way of their religion Harry, we do not question it. They feel it is what is expected of them. When one studies to be an inquisitor, it is intense and painful. Not all who set out to do it make it through each task. However, those who complete their training, are rewarded for their sacrifices, with incredible mental abilities. They can hear, smell, taste, touch and communicate, using their minds."  
  
"How?" Harry asked.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"One cannot know this, without actually becoming an Inquisitor. They are forbidden to share their knowledge of clairvoyant abilities with anyone else."  
  
"Oh," Harry said, still feeling slightly uneasy about their strange new allies. "How will they be helping us then?"  
  
Dumbledore's expression became dark, his brow furrowed. He met Harry's gaze firmly before speaking.  
  
"I know you are aware of intruders finding their way into the school, unnoticed, but in the past few days, we've found many of them. Voldemort is sending his death eaters here in greater numbers now, and the Inquisitors will be able to identify them immediately. They are going to be introduced to each student and staff member today and tomorrow. Their brains are connected in such a way that by just one of them meeting someone, all of them will recognize that person. After that, any person that enters the school that has not been introduced, will be easily detectable by the Inquisitors. The second a brain pattern they are unaware of enters the school grounds, they will alert whoever is patrolling at that time and take them to the intruders."  
  
"They'll take someone to them?" Harry asked. "You mean they can't fight on their own?"  
  
Dumbledore's gaze flickered for a moment, and Harry leaned forward in his seat, intrigued.  
  
"I have asked Cole, to make it so they do not use their powers, unless absolutely necessary. If three or four death eaters manage to get in, let us handle it. Only if the life of one of the students is in immediate danger, do I want them to use their own abilities."  
  
"Why?" Harry asked, fascinated. "What can they do?"  
  
Dumbledore's expression became darker still. He met Harry's gaze with great seriousness before speaking, in the gravest of tones.  
  
"Their powers, when used to attack others, are beyond inhuman. It is the reverse of what was done to them when they gave up their senses. Any victim of an Inquisitor has their senses amplified to the point that is becomes too painful to live. Everything they see becomes agonizingly bright, everything they hear is so loud their eardrums throb within their heads, but refusing to burst and provide relief from the noise. Anything they touch, no matter how smooth, tears at their skin. Their sense of smell becomes so heightened they can catch each and every individual scent for miles, and everything they taste is so potent they choke, and cannot swallow. Most victims end up taking their own life to end their torment. No human being deserves to be tortured in this way, not even a death eater."  
  
"Voldemort," Harry said emotionlessly as Dumbledore stopped speaking. "Voldemort deserves it."  
  
The headmaster met Harry's gaze evenly.  
  
"Voldemort will be defeated Harry. It is just a matter of time."  
  
"Will he?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling bitter. "I wonder."  
  
Dumbledore simply nodded and a silence fell over the room. Harry couldn't help but wish Voldemort would come to the school, and that an Inquisitor would find him and attack. As far as he was concerned, Voldemort would be getting off easy. He deserved so much more pain, much more suffering, than that would cause him, but just the same it would do.  
  
"Promise me something Harry," Dumbledore spoke up, pulling him from his thoughts. Harry glanced up, startled to see the look of alarm in the headmaster's eyes. Everything about him seemed calm, but his eyes were mingled with concern and very faintly, alarm.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, uncertainly.  
  
"We all want to see Voldemort brought down. Moreover, when it happens, it surely will not feel as if it is enough, or what he deserves, but if it stops him then it will be sufficient. All I'm asking of you, is that you not rush into a battle that you are unprepared for."  
  
"What if I don't have a choice?" Harry asked quickly.  
  
"Then you do whatever you can," Dumbledore said firmly, "to get yourself out of there."  
  
Harry nodded faintly, secretly promising himself the exact opposite. The next time he was near Voldemort would be the last time, one way or another.  
  
Dumbledore was looking at him, skeptically, and Harry averted his eyes. The headmaster had always had an uncanny ability to know what he was really thinking and this was something he wanted to keep hidden. No one was going to change his mind, not about this.  
  
In an attempt to change the subject, Harry asked something he'd been meaning to for quite some time now, but never got around to.  
  
"How is Professor Snape doing?"  
  
A sad expression flickered across the headmaster's face for a fleeting second, before it vanished. But Harry didn't fail to notice it.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, feeling dread creeping up within him. "What's wrong?"  
  
Dumbledore took a deep breath, his expression now unreadable.  
  
"Professor Snape was doing as well as could be expected until a few days ago. We knew his illness was not simply a cold or a virus from the start, and that someone meant for him to be out of the way, at the very least. Allison has been putting a great deal of her time and energy into helping him, looking for a cure; as of yet, we still have not found one and the situation has become worse."  
  
"What's happened to him?" Harry asked fearfully.  
  
"He's in a coma, Harry," Dumbledore spoke solemnly, "It happened only a few days ago."  
  
Harry's eyes widened in shock, and his mouth went dry.  
  
"But." he began, unsure of what to say. His mind was racing and he felt very confused. What could Snape possibly have done.or what did he know? "What day, exactly?" he managed to ask, feeling the sudden need to know.  
  
"The same day Voldemort managed to get you out of the school," the headmaster replied.  
  
Harry shook his head, feeling bitter, angry.  
  
"So Snape was, yet again, hurt because of me."  
  
"Professor Snape was hurt because Voldemort wanted him to be," Dumbledore stated firmly. "At this time we do not know what the reason is, and for that matter there may not be one. Or at least one we could understand. Voldemort is very twisted, this might be his way of taking revenge on Severus for what his betrayal."  
  
"Maybe," Harry mused, not believing it at all. "But it seems to be too much for just a coincidence in timing."  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore began gently, "I realize you are upset about this, we all are. You gained control of your powers that night to some extent, the same happened for Mr. Malfoy. I don't see anyway that this could relate to Severus' condition, but as I said we still haven't determined anything specific." He paused a moment before continuing, speaking softer still, "As for what happened with Miss Chang."  
  
"I've already thought of that," Harry cut him off before the headmaster could finish. "So his mysterious illness could be related to any of the three of us, or none at all."  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"Well then how do we find out?" Harry pressed. "What can we do?" He didn't think he could bear another person losing their life for him, and needed desperately to know if that was indeed the reason for Snape's affliction. He doubted very much, their could be an explanation unrelated to what had happened to him that night, and the look in the headmaster's eyes, despite what he was saying, revealed the same suspicion.  
  
"I promise to keep you informed," Dumbledore spoke again, "of any change in his condition, and anything we find."  
  
Harry nodded, feeling very tense. He needed to get out of there, needed to do something else.  
  
"Are you alright Harry?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry turned to see the pure concern in the headmaster's gaze.  
  
"I'm fine, thank you," Harry replied stiffly, truly not wanting to talk about anything.  
  
"It isn't good to hold too much in, especially as much as you have on your shoulders."  
  
"I'm not holding anything in," Harry said curtly, standing up. "Truly, I'm not. I'm just worried about Snape."  
  
Dumbledore looked at him, through him, knowing completely that he was lying, but nodded.  
  
"If you need to talk."  
  
"I promise I'll come to you if I do," he said, now taking a step away from the chair.  
  
A wry smile touched the headmaster's lips.  
  
"I can see I am holding you up from much more important matters," he said jokingly, before becoming serious again. "And you are welcome here anytime you need to talk. Please remember that."  
  
"I will," Harry said, forcing a smile. He thanked the headmaster and turned quickly, crossing the office in a flash, before starting back for his tower, relieved to be alone.  
  
As he made his way back to the tower, he began to realize how hungry he was. Checking his watch he found dinner had been over for an hour, but he turned in the direction of the great hall anyway, having skipped every meal that day, his stomach was positively howling from hunger.  
  
Making his way through the familiar corridors, he tried to occupy his mind. He didn't want to think about Snape, or Cho, or anyone else who'd been hurt because of him.  
  
As he passed the hallway that led to the Owlery, he heard footsteps coming towards him and looked up. Mel was heading in his direction. She caught sight of him as he stopped, and waved, smiling.  
  
"Hello Harry," she said pleasantly as she neared him. "I haven't seen you lately, how are you?"  
  
Harry gaped at her for a moment, before realizing, she must have no idea what had happened. For once, Malfoy must've kept his mouth shut, as he would've been the only one to spread around the news.  
  
"I'm.I'm fine," he said immediately, recovering quickly. "Just great." He smiled, actually quite glad for company that wouldn't be pressing him to talk about what had happened.  
  
"So where are you headed then?" Mel asked.  
  
"To find some food," Harry replied with a grin. "I'm starved, haven't eaten all day."  
  
"Well that was silly of you," Mel chuckled, "what were you doing that caused you to miss every meal?"  
  
Harry shrugged, deciding it was definitely better not to mention the crystals, or anything else he'd so recently found out.  
  
"I lost track of time, I guess," he said sheepishly, before glancing down the hall she'd just come from. "I see you were off sending another letter."  
  
"Yes, that I was," Mel grinned, before she began walking. "And now that you've mentioned it, I'm a bit hungry myself."  
  
Harry trotted to catch up with her, before getting in step along side her.  
  
"Oh, and you're teasing me for not eating, I see," he joked.  
  
"Well I didn't skip all three meals, now did I?" she asked with a smirk. "Lost track of time my foot," she said, playfully jabbing him in the ribs.  
  
"No really," Harry laughed, moving to block her hands, "I got caught up in what I was doing."  
  
Mel glanced up at him with a wry smile, rolling her eyes.  
  
"You don't have to tell me what you were doing," she said, knowingly. "It's obvious you don't want to."  
  
Harry glanced down at her, smirking. She was very perceptive, but also very correct. He didn't want to tell her, not yet at least.  
  
"So," he began after a brief silence. "What do you say we raid the kitchen again? Our choice of anything on the menu."  
  
"Oh I'd love to," Mel replied quickly, with a broad grin. "That was so much fun last time, the house elves are just so cute!"  
  
"You don't have any, I take it?" Harry asked.  
  
Mel shook her head, appearing ashamed.  
  
"No, we can't afford one."  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Well I've never had one either, though I think the Dursley's thought I was one.I can't be certain." He smiled down on her as she laughed.  
  
"I think your reasons for not having one are quite a bit better than mine."  
  
"I'd trade for your reasons any day," he said, sighing. "Believe me."  
  
"Yes I can see how them confusing you with a house elf would be a bit, awkward? Humiliating?"  
  
"Yes, all those years without clothes.the winters were very cold," Harry joked.  
  
"I'll bet they were," Mel replied, laughing harder.  
  
"Oh but you get used to it, sooner or later your feet get so numb from the snow that you don't feel the pain anymore. And I was only teased by the other kids for the first few years, then it just seemed normal to everyone." he trailed off, feigning sadness. "It was so horrible."  
  
"Oooh, how terrible for you," Mel said, playing along for a moment, laying on the pity, before swatting his arm. "Dramatic today, are we?'  
  
"Are you implying I'm not being honest?" Harry asked, a stunned expression on his face.  
  
"Oh never," Mel said, quickly. "I'm outright telling you you're lying." She stuck out her tongue at him, playfully, before facing forward and quickening her pace.  
  
"The wonderful friends I've made here," Harry commented as he caught up to her again. "I just love how I can count on you guys when you're needed."  
  
"You can count on me," Mel said quickly, now her turn to sound insulted.  
  
"Yes, I can," Harry replied with a sigh. "To always be sure to tease me, and hit me, my poor ribs," he said, now rubbing his chest, sorely, pretending to wince.  
  
"Nope, not falling for it," Mel said, stifling a laugh. "Oh look, the kitchen, you finished yet? If the house elves see you like that they'll be sure to physically carry you to the hospital wing."  
  
"Oooh you're right," Harry said, straightening up with a grin and raising his hand.  
  
"Can I do it?" Mel asked suddenly, smiling.  
  
Harry pulled his hand back, gesturing for her to go ahead.  
  
Mel reached up and tickled the pear, laughing as it giggled, before the portrait opened, giving them access to the kitchen.  
  
They walked inside together, looking around at the droves of busy house elves.  
  
"Oh!" one of them exclaimed upon seeing them. The small elf scurried over happily and bowed. "What can we do for you young master and mistress?"  
  
Harry and Mel exchanged glances, both stifling laughter.  
  
"We were a bit hungry." Harry began, but before he could finish his sentence, the house elf snapped to attention. Spinning around, he called to several others nearby, demanding food be brought at once. As expected, the elves were more than happy to do so, and before another moment passed, Harry and Mel had trays of food in front of them filled with enough to feed ten people.  
  
"I don't think.well.I don't think we need.quite so much." Harry said apologetically, trying not to laugh at the house elves' identically beaming faces.  
  
"Take whatever you want then, young master," the first one said pleasantly.  
  
Harry and Mel thanked the elves, taking plates from the trays and filling them. As they turned to leave, a thought suddenly struck Harry and he whirled around, calling the first elf back to him.  
  
"Yes, young master?" the elf asked, eagerly. "Do you need more? We can."  
  
"No no," Harry said quickly, smiling politely. "I definitely have enough food. I was wondering, if you could tell me.do you know if Dobby is here? Have you seen him lately?"  
  
The house elf's gaze flickered with disdain for a second, before he hastily replied.  
  
"Dobby is in Hogwart's, yes, but not in the kitchen. Not today."  
  
"Oh," Harry said, disappointed. "Do you know where he is? Or if he'll be back?"  
  
"No, not know when. Dobby will come back to the kitchen, after finished with other jobs."  
  
"Would you tell him Harry was looking for him?" Harry asked. "And that I'd like to speak to him?"  
  
The elf nodded, emphatically.  
  
"Mebly will do that for you young master, sir, Mebly will."  
  
"Thank you Mebly," Harry replied with a grin. Turning again, he saw Mel waiting for him by the entrance to the kitchen, and together they stepped into the hall.  
  
"So," Harry began cheerfully as they walked. "Where are we eating this time? Back to the classroom again?"  
  
"Well," Mel replied, almost shyly. "There is one place I'd like to go."  
  
Harry eyed her, cautiously, smirking.  
  
"Do I dare ask?" he joked. "You don't want to eat in your common room or anything, do you? Because as much as I'd love to join you, I don't feel I'd be welcome."  
  
"No silly, not my common room," Mel replied, rolling her eyes and laughing. "I don't want you dead, contrary to what you may believe."  
  
Harry pretended to wipe sweat from his brow, letting out his breath.  
  
"I was worried there for a minute."  
  
"There's just no talking seriously to you, is there?" Mel asked, shaking her head and smiling. "Actually I was thinking of someplace in the entirely opposite direction."  
  
"What, my common room?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"No, higher," Mel replied.  
  
"Are you gonna tell me?" Harry asked, grinning. "Or will we play guessing games until the food is cold?"  
  
Mel sighed, heavily, but unable to keep from smiling.  
  
"Well if you really can't figure it out.I guess I've no choice," she said, making it sound as if it were a great chore to even think about telling him.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"I want to go to the observatory."  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"The observatory, ey? You would pick the furthest room in the whole school, wouldn't you? We'll be eating cold steak tonight."  
  
"You'll be eating cold steak," Mel corrected him, smugly. "My dinner wasn't hot to begin with."  
  
"Yes, I see that, what can I say" he shrugged. "I'm not a vegetarian."  
  
"Hey neither am I," Mel said quickly. "I was in the mood for salad."  
  
Harry just laughed at her.  
  
"Anything you say," he replied teasingly. "But fine. The observatory it is. My food is already cold anyway," he shrugged. "Don't think it can get much worse."  
  
"Good," Mel said with a triumphant grin. Seeing the stunned expression that crossed Harry's face she rushed on. "Not that your food is cold.that we're going to the observatory."  
  
"Uh-huh," Harry replied in a disbelieving tone. "I know what you really meant."  
  
"You know, I'm beginning to think you only enjoy my company because you like to tease me," Mel said.  
  
"Tease you?" Harry asked, innocently. "When have I ever."  
  
"Watch it there, mate," Mel cut him off with a smirk "I would hate for your gravy covered plate to end up splattered down those lovely robes."  
  
Harry looked at her, feigning shock, but shut his mouth, more to keep from laughing then anything. They walked side by side, joking back and forth, all the way to the observatory.  
  
When they finally reached the observatory, they found it locked. Mel pulled out her wand first, and easily opened the door for them.  
  
"After you," Harry said, seeing her step aside to let him through. She smiled sweetly, stepping into the quiet classroom, Harry following right behind her. He shut the door softly, before crossing the room after Mel.  
  
"It's so beautiful in here at night," Mel commented as she placed her food down on a desk and looked up. The ceiling was almost entirely made of glass, and the sky was cloudless, the stars shown brightly down on them, twinkling.  
  
"You've been here at night before?" Harry asked, smirking.  
  
Mel ducked her head, sheepishly.  
  
"Well it's not as if I do anything bad," she said quietly. "I only ever come to see the stars. We're not allowed outside this late anymore as it is, so this is as close as I can get."  
  
"Yeah," Harry sighed. "Sorry about that."  
  
Mel turned her gaze on him, questioningly.  
  
"About what?" she asked.  
  
"The early curfews. I'm pretty much solely responsible for them," he said, guiltily.  
  
"Harry," Mel said, her tone very no-nonsense. "We were never allowed out very late to begin with. Didn't you get into trouble our first year here for that? I know Draco did, and he went on about how it was your fault for.well for a long time."  
  
"I'll bet he did," Harry replied, grinning. He remembered his first year so clearly. Even though there had been some close calls, and incidents he'd much rather forget, he wished to be back in that time. Everything was so much simpler then.  
  
The two of them ate in silence, Harry not even noticing how bland his food tasted from being so cold. He was merely enjoying being with someone who wasn't badgering him about everything going on, and that he considered a friend.  
  
"Not hungry?" Mel asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Hmm?" Harry murmured, looking up at her.  
  
"You're barely picking at your food," she replied, nodding towards his plate. "For someone who hasn't eaten the entire day, I'd think you'd be eating a little bit more, even if it is cold."  
  
"I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought," Harry said with a shrug, grinning.  
  
Mel seemed to consider his response for a moment, before opening her mouth again to speak. Harry almost cringed. If he heard someone ask him if he was alright one more time, he would scream.  
  
"Have you heard anything about the quidditch season yet?" she asked, lightly. "Has Dumbledore maybe given you a date even, that practices can resume?"  
  
Harry felt a wave of relief sweep through him. Whether Mel was truly interested in what she'd asked, or she'd done it because she felt he'd needed to talk about something enjoyable, he was grateful.  
  
"No word yet, he said, lifting his hands up briefly. "I guess I'll have to ask Dumbledore next time I see him."  
  
"But he will definitely be keeping the season going, right?" Mel asked.  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
"I honestly don't know," he replied, feeling that after all that had happened there was probably a good chance of it being cancelled. "But I hope he does, I don't want my last year here to be without quidditch."  
  
"I feel the same," Mel replied with a nod, before a sly grin spread across her lips. "And besides that, you still owe me a broom ride."  
  
"Ah, but you're wrong," Harry said quickly, grinning wickedly. "The broom ride was promised on the Firebolt." his expression became one of mock sadness as he went on, "which, unfortunately, is in no condition to fly."  
  
"Harry Potter how mean of you!" she cried, pretending to be hurt. "You promised a ride on your broom, which the Moontrimmer is, in fact. And now you're trying to back out of it." she trailed off, sniffling dramatically.  
  
"Oh stop, stop," he said, trying not to laugh at her fake tears. "If we're ever allowed down to the pitch again then yes I'll let you ride it," he said, shaking his head at her.  
  
She smiled sweetly, scrunching up her nose for a second.  
  
"And you say I'm mean," Harry commented. "I'm not the one manipulating you into letting me ride your broom."  
  
"Manipulating? Me?" Mel cried, looking stunned, but Harry could tell she was trying not to smile.  
  
"Yes you." Harry began, stopping abruptly and turning his head towards the door.  
  
"What is it?" Mel asked, suddenly serious, looking from Harry to the entrance and back.  
  
"I thought I heard something."  
  
Harry and Mel sat perfectly still, straining their ears for any sounds. The room suddenly seemed quite dark, and the shadows long and ominous.  
  
"What did it.?" Mel began in a whisper but stopped as Harry held his hand up to silence her. As quietly as possible, he pushed himself up, slowly standing, and slid his wand out of his pocket. Raising it in front of him, he aimed it at the door, just as it began to swing open.  
  
Mel was up in a flash, standing next to Harry, her wand trained on the same mark at his. He was glad to see she didn't appear afraid, but rather determined.  
  
The door creaked on its hinges, swinging slowly open, the noise magnified greatly in the spacious, empty room. Whoever was entering had a wand, as it was the first thing Harry caught sight of, the tip of it lit up. The figure moved into the room and Harry recognized her immediately, with just the reflection of light from her wand eerily illuminating her face.  
  
"Marzia?" he called, causing her to spin towards him, startled.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding worried, still scanning the room, nervously.  
  
"Eating dinner," Harry replied, gesturing at the plates, but not taking his eyes from Marzia.  
  
"In the observatory?" Marzia asked. "What was wrong with the great hall? You know you of all people shouldn't."  
  
"I'm sorry, alright?" Harry cut her off testily. "But as you can see we're alive and well. No one's come after us, I doubt anyone would think to look in the observatory for us anyway." he trailed off, eyeing her suspiciously. "Why are you here, anyway? Is this part of the area you patrol? You looked like you were expecting to find someone."  
  
"I was," Marzia replied simply, sounding faintly insulted. "Have both of you been introduced to the Inquisitors?"  
  
"What? What has that got to do with.?" Harry began.  
  
"Just answer the question, Harry."  
  
"Yes, I have. I think I was one of the first to meet them," Harry replied evenly. Marzia nodded and turned her gaze on Mel.  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"They're the ones with no eyes, right? A man brought them down to the Slytherin common room earlier. Wanted to make sure we were all accounted for, and to know if any of us were not there and where he could find them."  
  
Marzia looked somewhat puzzled by their answers, but spoke firmly.  
  
"Then you both need to get out of here now."  
  
"Wait a second," Harry said, stepping forward. "Why do we.?"  
  
"Harry I don't know how much you've been told about the Inquisitors," Marzia spoke quickly, moving towards him, "but they are here to weed out anyone who doesn't belong. They find intruders and notify us, and I was just told there was someone they didn't recognize up here. Now as they've just arrived, it's understandable if they point us in the direction of a student because they may not have met them yet. But according to what you've just told me, they couldn't have been sensing either of you. So someone else is here.or at least nearby. It isn't safe here at this moment."  
  
Harry sighed, frustrated.  
  
"If it is a death eater.or anyone else Voldemort may have sent.why would they come up here? It doesn't make sense.it's too far from any students, especially during the holidays and."  
  
"Harry please don't argue with me right now," Marzia cut him off sharply. "I need you both to head back to your dorms. Don't worry about the plates, they'll be taken care of later. Just please do as I ask. No stopping on the way, straight to your dorms."  
  
Harry glared at her angrily. If someone was up there with them they'd had ample time to attack, or grab them, or do whatever it was they might be there for, but no one had shown themselves. He wasn't sure he believed her reason at all for being there, but decided it was pointless to argue right now. Looking apologetically at Mel, he shrugged, grinning weakly.  
  
"Sorry," he muttered.  
  
"It's okay," Mel whispered, glancing warily at Marzia. "Let's just get out of here, before she gets mad."  
  
Harry nodded and together they started for the door. He didn't look at Marzia as he passed, feeling her eyes on him, watching him.  
  
"Do you really think someone's up there?" Mel asked after they gotten far enough away from the observatory. Walking side by side, they moved leisurely through the hallways.  
  
"I suppose there must be," Harry commented, shrugging noncommittally. "I just hope it really is a student that the Inquisitors didn't meet yet. I can't see how it could be a death eater.what would they want in the observatory?"  
  
"Well, if they were looking for you," Mel began, somberly, "That is where they'd have found you."  
  
"I know, but how would they know that?" Harry asked quickly. "It just doesn't feel right. I don't think Marzia was there for that reason at all."  
  
"You did seem a bit.suspicious of her," Mel spoke softly. "Who is she? I mean, I know she's watching the school with Mr. Black, but do you know anything else about her?"  
  
"It's.it's a long story." Harry trailed off. "Basically, I really trusted her when I first met her, and she saved so many people at Hogsmeade that day. But other things have been happened since then.and I just get the feeling she isn't really telling us the truth about.certain things." he stammered, shrugging.  
  
"Oh," Mel said, softly, turning her gaze towards the floor.  
  
"I really am sorry about dinner being interrupted though," Harry said quickly. "I was having fun."  
  
"So was I," Mel replied, grinning up at him. She met his gaze directly before continuing. "I really never expected you to be like this Harry. I wish I'd met you sooner."  
  
Harry felt the heat rising in his cheeks as they blushed, and turned his head.  
  
"Oh, now I've embarrassed you," Mel said, laughing, blushing slightly herself. "Sorry."  
  
"No, no.you didn't," Harry answered quickly, with an awkward grin. "I didn't expect you to be this way either."  
  
"Because I'm in Slytherin?" Mel pressed, but she was smiling as she said it.  
  
"I don't know," Harry replied honestly. "I'm sure at first that was why." he trailed off, before smirking down at her. "What about you? Why did you think I'd be different?"  
  
"Draco," she replied simply.  
  
"I figured as much," Harry nodded rolling his eyes. He glanced up to see the hallway that led to the Gryffindor tower was just a few feet away, and realized he didn't want to go back. He was truly enjoying Mel's company, and still didn't feel like dealing with his friends' questions.  
  
"I guess this is where we part," Mel spoke up, looking in the direction Harry was. "But I truly meant what I said before, I had a lot of fun tonight. Maybe we can do this again some time?"  
  
Harry nodded instantly, smiling.  
  
"Definitely. It'll be our little thing.stealing dinner from the kitchen and eating in classrooms."  
  
"Oh good," Mel laughed, smiling brightly. "And we'll never use the same room twice!"  
  
"Exactly," Harry nodded, grinning. "No matter how cold my food gets en route."  
  
"Well you'll just have to eat salad every once in a while.or a sandwich." Mel trailed off, grinning.  
  
"How filling." Harry said, disgustedly, but still smiling.  
  
They came to a stop in front of the hallway and looked at each other for a moment.  
  
"Well," Mel spoke up first, "Good night Harry. See you soon."  
  
"Good night Mel," Harry replied, smiling softly. "Be careful on you way back."  
  
"You too," she replied, pointedly. Grinning once more, she turned away and headed down the hallway. Harry stood and watched her go for a moment, before turning with a sigh, and heading up the corridor to his tower.  
  
Reaching the portrait hole, Harry gave the password and stepped through, already feeling anxious. As expected, his friends called out to him the moment the portrait swung shut, and he let out a heavy sigh. It was too early to go to bed, and if he'd tried, he had the feeling they'd probably come up there and badger him some more.  
  
Trudging over to the corner of the room where the others were waiting, he plopped heavily into the empty chair.  
  
"Bad day?" Hermione asked, seeing Harry's dull expression.  
  
"No, not really," Harry replied, keeping his gaze fixed on his hands.  
  
"Well.how did everything go this morning?" Ron asked, looking hopefully at his friend. "With the crystals?"  
  
"Fine," Harry replied, vaguely.  
  
"Fine?" Hermione asked, trying to get Harry to meet her eyes. "What happened? What was it like?"  
  
"Nothing happened," Harry replied curtly. "I introduced myself to them and it was.it was fine."  
  
"Are you mad at us?" Ginny asked suddenly.  
  
"No!" Harry answered sharply. "What would I have to be mad at you for?"  
  
"You tell us," Hermione replied evenly. "You're avoiding us any chance you get and when you're with us you seem.distant. Like you don't want to be with us."  
  
"I'm sorry you think that," Harry said quickly, looking up at her for the first time. "I just don't want to talk about things right now."  
  
"Well what do you want to think about then?" Ron asked, exasperatedly. "We can talk about whatever you want."  
  
"Maybe I just don't feel like talking to you," Harry cut in crisply.  
  
Ron sat back, a hurt expression on his face. He looked down at his hands, sadly.  
  
"Harry, what's the matter?" Hermione asked, concern evident in her voice.  
  
Harry sighed loudly, sitting forward in the chair.  
  
"I already told you," he began, sounding annoyed. "I don't feel like talking. Why can't you just let me."  
  
"You hold too much in Harry," Hermione cut in. "I know it hasn't been very long since.well since everything changed, but you're already acting very strange. You're not at all like yourself."  
  
"Since everything changed?" Harry asked, laughing emptily. "What a discreet way of putting it."  
  
"Say it however you want," Hermione went on quietly. "But this isn't like you. I just want to help you Harry.please if."  
  
"You can't help Hermione, don't you see that? Unless in all your brilliance you've discovered a way to bring people back from the dead there's nothing you can do!"  
  
He sat back in the chair with a huff, realizing quickly how loudly he'd actually spoken, as the common room had gone eerily silent.  
  
"I'm going to bed," he muttered, feeling guilty as he caught Hermione's stunned expression. Standing abruptly, he headed for the door to the dorms and started up the stairs.  
  
Harry had barely made it to the doorway for the seventh year dorms when he heard footsteps behind him. Not bothering to turn around he pushed the door open and stepped inside, letting it swing shut behind him. But before he could make it three steps, the door flew open. Turning around, he saw Hermione glaring angrily at him as she came into the room. Ron followed her, looking warily at Harry, and Ginny waited nervously by the door.  
  
"You're all sleeping up here?" he asked, sardonically. "Well some of you will have to take the floor if."  
  
"Stop it Harry," Hermione spoke evenly. He met her gaze, realized how very close to tears she was, and turned away quickly. He hated to see his friends upset, and couldn't explain why he felt so angry at them.  
  
"Just go away," he whispered. "I don't want to talk right now."  
  
"Well I think it's time you did," Hermione retorted. "You can't go on like this anymore.it's obvious how much pain you're in from."  
  
"I think I can decide for myself when and if I want to talk," Harry said crisply. "Now I'm really tired and I want to sleep, so if you want to stay in here, fine but."  
  
"Harry, please." Ginny spoke up from the doorway, tears running down her face. "You're being so mean."  
  
Harry felt a lump in his throat and a wave of guilt washed over him, but he shook it away quickly.  
  
"Why won't you just leave me alone?" he asked quietly, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Can't you see that's all I want?"  
  
"Because we care about you," Hermione said, stepping forward cautiously. "And it hurts us to see you like this."  
  
"Like what?" Harry asked, trying to shrug it off.  
  
"Harry, it's okay to let things out, you don't always have to be brave in front of us," Hermione replied.  
  
Harry could feel his hands shaking, clenching them into fists so his friends wouldn't see. He looked at the floor as he spoke.  
  
"I have no right to let anything out," he said quietly. "Cho died, because of me. I watched Voldemort kill her right in front of my eyes and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't save her. Just like Cedric died because of me.and Mrs. Figg.and my mum." he trailed off no longer sure he could keep his voice steady and cleared his throat. His vision began to blur but he refused to let any tears fall.  
  
"There was nothing you could've done," Ron finally spoke. Harry glanced at him, surprised to see tears in his eyes as well. "You had no way to fight Voldemort, to stop him, or even to escape."  
  
Harry shook his head, unwilling to accept his explanation. He looked up, crossing his arms across his chest stubbornly.  
  
"He thought she was my defender, he killed her. She died because of me.no way to argue that. Now I'm going to bed."  
  
He turned on the spot and stalked across the room, putting his hand on the curtains to his four-poster.  
  
"Wait!" Hermione cried before he could pull them back. She ran over to him, putting a hand on his arm, but he wouldn't turn around. "You're not the only one who's lost someone you know?" she asked, almost bitterly, tears streaking her face. "We all loved Cho, and we all miss her very much. Don't you understand that? I feel just as guilty about all of this as you do."  
  
"What could you possibly have to feel guilty about?" he asked thickly.  
  
"Cho was sleeping in my dorm that night, when we all went to bed. So in order for Voldemort to have gotten her from there someone would have had to take her from the dorm. She never had a bottle like the one you had, so it couldn't have been done that way; someone had to have been there. But I never heard anything, I slept through whatever happened. I know something did because when we woke up things near her bed were knocked over and the curtains around the bed were torn, but I never heard a sound. I could have helped her, and didn't."  
  
She paused for a moment, waiting. When she got no response, she spoke softly.  
  
"Please Harry, it will help so much to talk about it.don't hold it in anymore."  
  
Harry shook his head, still refusing to turn around, ignoring the pleading in her voice.  
  
"Good night Hermione," he said coldly and he felt her hand drop from his arm. He fought the urge to turn around, feeling her eyes on the back of his head, and with sudden resolve, he pulled the curtain back from the bed.  
  
Harry inhaled sharply feeling his breath catching in his throat as he dropped his arm from the curtains, letting it fall limply at his side, not hearing Hermione scream. He took one step back from the bed, but could make his feet go no further.  
  
Cho was lying on his bed; looking exactly as she had the last time he'd seen her. Her eyes wide with terror, a silent scream on her lips.  
  
Taking a shaky step back towards the bed, he felt numb, drained, dead. He still wasn't hearing the commotion his friends were making and never saw Ginny rush from the room in hysterics to get the headmaster.  
  
Raising his hand softly, leaning down towards her, he gently ran his fingers through her hair, cherishing the silkiness he remembered so well.  
  
"Harry," Ron spoke quietly, his voice hoarse. "Harry, c'mon."  
  
He stepped towards his friend, putting a hand firmly on his arm, but Harry shrugged it off violently, never taking his eyes from Cho. He caressed her pale dead skin, feeling all his pain threatening to spill over.  
  
"I'm sorry.I'm so sorry," he whispered to her, pleading, a tortured expression on his face.  
  
Hermione moved around to Harry's side, opposite Ron, crying freely.  
  
"Harry." she sobbed, "she's dead.she can't hear you.please just.just." she broke off unable to finish. She leant against him for support, her legs weak, crying hard.  
  
Harry wanted to scream. He felt murderous at that moment, and if Voldemort had been in the room with them there was no doubt in Harry's mind he would be able to kill the dark wizard. He would enjoy it.  
  
He blinked back tears, trying to force down the lump in his throat, but it was too hard. Turning away, he started to run, he needed to get away, but he couldn't. Ron had taken hold of his arms and wouldn't release him.  
  
"Let me go Ron, I mean it," he snarled, struggling. Freeing one arm, he instinctively pulled it back and swung at Ron, who barely ducked in time. Harry overbalanced and would have fallen, if Ron hadn't taken hold of him again.  
  
"Don't do this Harry!" Hermione cried pleadingly as Harry again began to fight against his friend's grasp. "She's dead! Cho Is Dead! You can't change it by ignoring us or keeping in your anger! It's not your fault!" she yelled. Harry stopped struggling, looking miserably at Hermione. She moved forward slowly, visibly shaking, her eyes puffy and red, her face damp.  
  
"It's not your fault," she repeated softly, staring up at him, pleading.  
  
Harry met her gaze, letting her words sink in, and for the first time in his life, he allowed the misery to fill him. He let his chest fill up, let his eyes fill up, and at long last.he let go. His knees buckled as he leant on Hermione and she held him up, embracing him, letting him cry. He buried his face into her shoulder and couldn't hold it in any longer, it was far too much pain pent up inside.  
  
There was no embarrassment, no shame. He let it come, and when Hermione could no longer keep him up, they slumped to the floor. Ron knelt down beside them, putting a comforting hand on both their shoulders, and when they looked up at him, they pulled him into their hug.  
  
It felt so wonderful and miserable all at once, and Harry didn't try to stop it. He let his feelings out, releasing the misery, the pain, the torture. He cried for everyone he'd ever known and loved, for all the lives that had been lost and when he could no longer cry, the three of them just stayed there, holding each other, in silence.  
  
Harry didn't know how long they sat there, but after a short while, he heard footsteps racing up the stairs, and up the hall. Sirius burst into the room, looking almost frantic. He looked immediately towards Harry's bed and a pained expression crossed his face. Turning his gaze away and glancing around, he immediately spotted the three of them on the floor, still holding each other.  
  
"Harry." Sirius began sadly, looking defeated. He went to say more, but stopped as Dumbledore entered the room, followed by Remus and Ginny. The headmaster spotted the three students immediately, who were now beginning to stand.  
  
"I am sorry," he spoke gravely, looking directly at Harry, "that this was allowed to happen."  
  
Harry didn't answer, but nodded, accepting the apology.  
  
"Harry I.I'm so." Sirius began, stopping as Harry moved to him, taking him in a fierce embrace. Sirius looked briefly startled but returned the hug.  
  
"Who could have done this?" Remus asked, now standing near the bed, looking down at Cho, a disgusted expression on his face.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"I have my suspicions. We know there have been many intruders as of late."  
  
"Yes but." Remus began loudly, before pausing and continuing almost in a whisper. "How would they get her body up here? Without anyone noticing, at that!"  
  
"Saaneeraa," Hermione spoke up, her voice hoarse. "She could do it, if she didn't want someone to see what she was doing.well she could make them believe they weren't seeing it. Isn't that what she does? Messes with your mind?"  
  
"You are quite correct, Miss Granger," Dumbledore spoke somberly. "Now before we discuss this any further, I think it's best to take the four of you out of here. You will use the rooms behind my office for the evening. As will Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Finnigan and Mr. Malfoy."  
  
"Malfoy?" Ron cried, horrified. "Why do you.?"  
  
"Mr. Weasley, as I know you've been told, Draco Malfoy is Harry's defender. We know there have been many attempts to get to Harry and what has happened tonight is proof of how close they can get. I am taking no chances, Mr. Malfoy will be brought to my office as well." Dumbledore stopped speaking and looked at Lupin. "Remus, would you be so kind as to inform Draco of this and escort him upstairs?"  
  
Remus nodded quickly, but headed for the door.  
  
"Sirius," Dumbledore continued softly. "Will you please take everyone else up? I am going to find Cole, and see if we can't get more information on this, possibly from the Inquisitors."  
  
Sirius nodded gently, as Harry finally let go of him.  
  
"What about." Harry began, barely managing to even glance at the bed. "I mean, are you going to."  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted softly. "Do not worry yourself with anything besides getting some well-needed rest. I promise you everything else will be handled in the most delicate manner possible."  
  
Harry nodded, feeling fresh tears welling up in his eyes, though nothing as fiercely as before. He didn't blink them back, and they rolled silently down his cheeks. He leant on Sirius' shoulder sadly, and even through all the misery, he felt loved, wanted. His godfather put an arm around his back, comfortingly.  
  
"It's going to be alright Harry," he whispered. "I know how hard it is to lose people you love.but I swear to you, the pain won't last forever." He dropped his arm as he felt his godson pull away slowly. Again, Harry did not respond, but nodded his thanks.  
  
"C'mon," Sirius spoke again. "Let's get you upstairs," he said, pausing to look around the room, "all of you." The four students, all appearing disheveled and gloomy, walked silently out of the room with Sirius, leaving the headmaster behind. They went downstairs together and waited as Sirius rounded up the other three, obviously not giving them much of an explanation by the confused looks on their faces, before stepping through the portrait hole and starting for the office.  
  
They walked through the hallways in silence. With Seamus and Dean present, no one wanted to say much about what had happened. They knew something was wrong as everyone looked like they'd been crying, but didn't ask any questions.  
  
When they finally reached the office, Sirius gave the password and everyone filed upstairs one at a time. He brought them through the doorway that led to the back rooms, and to where they'd be sleeping. The first few bedrooms were all doubles, but as you moved further back, they grew in size, until they found two adjacent rooms with four beds each.  
  
Dean and Seamus took the first room, which Neville was going to share as well, but he wanted to talk with Harry and the others, to see what had happened.  
  
"Just give us a few minutes, please Neville?" Sirius whispered as he saw him start to follow them.  
  
Neville nodded, appearing very concerned, but went to one of the empty beds. Sirius thanked him and followed the others into the next room.  
  
Harry crossed to the furthest bed, lowering himself onto it slowly. Ron took the one next to his and Ginny and Hermione took the two across from theirs. Sirius walked over to his godson, lowering himself onto the bed and putting a comforting arm over his shoulders.  
  
"I'm so sorry Harry," he said quietly. "That never should have happened to you."  
  
Harry glanced up at his godfather, his eyes still puffy and red, trying to smile, weakly.  
  
"I doubt," he began, hoarsely, "that there's anything you could have done to stop it. If Saaneeraa is the one who did it, which makes the most sense right now, then you would never have known, since I'm sure she wouldn't have wanted you to."  
  
"It still shouldn't have happened," Sirius replied, sounding both angry and frustrated. "If I would have just."  
  
"If you would have just nothing, Sirius," Harry cut him off. "It's not like we have bed checks before any of us go to sleep at night, you were out patrolling the school, protecting us, risking your life. What would have been so different about tonight that you would have come up to my dorm and find.and." he trailed off, seeing Cho's face again in his mind. He shut his eyes tightly, but the image remained.  
  
"Hey," Sirius said gently, pulling his godson to him, letting him rest his head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I won't talk about it anymore."  
  
"No," Harry said thickly. "I think that was the problem. I wouldn't talk about it.and it was hurting not to."  
  
"I know," Sirius replied, quietly. "I could see it every time I looked at you, but I didn't want to push you.now, I wish I had. I should have been a better godfather.but I wasn't. I should've been there for you more."  
  
"No." Harry said, pulling his head back and looking into his godfather's eyes sincerely. "Sirius you were there for me. You did ask me to talk.and told me I could come to you anytime. Even if you hadn't said those things I still would've known them. I didn't want to.I didn't want you to see me like.like this." he trailed off, looking down.  
  
"Harry," Sirius said gently, waiting for his godson to look up at him. He smiled warmly. "You are braver than I ever could have been, and you're so young. You're only seventeen, and while I can very much understand not wanting to cry.to seem weak.it's sometimes what you have to do. Things don't go away by not thinking of them. Time does not heal all wounds.it just lets them fade. Talking about your feelings, getting things out in the open.that's where the healing is. You are so lucky to have friends that care for you, that love you like you are their family."  
  
"And you," Harry cut in with a weak grin. "I'm lucky I have you too." He paused, looking around the room at the drained faces of his friends. "I owe all of you an apology." he began.  
  
"No Harry." Ron said quickly, "don't.we know you were just."  
  
"Ron, please," Harry cut in quietly. "Let me finish. I shouldn't have ever taken anything out on you guys. You were only trying to help me, and I did all I could to push you away. I know I said some things that were very insulting.and I'd do anything to take those words back.but I can't. Please, please.forgive me? I'm so, so sorry. I can't."  
  
"Harry," Hermione broke in delicately. She stood up and crossed the room, smiling softly at him, her eyes still glassy from crying. She sat down on the bed next to him, looking both sad and happy at the same time. Not saying a word, reaching over, she put his arms around him in a welcoming hug, which he returned gladly. Ginny and Ron were already at their side as well, and crawled onto the opposite side of the bed, joining the embrace. The four of them sat that way in silence, and Harry felt tears streaming down his face.  
  
"I want you to know now," he began thickly, "because I don't think I've ever said it.I love all of you.you are the best friends.the best family.anyone could ever hope for. Thank you so much for everything you've ever done for me."  
  
"We love you too Harry," Ron said, his voice wavering.  
  
Sirius stood up, smiling almost nostalgically at the four best friends. They loved each other deeply, and nothing could break their friendship, which had been proven repeatedly throughout their years at Hogwart's together. This was without a doubt one of the hardest trials they'd ever had to face, but they had, nonetheless.  
  
Sighing contentedly, he took a few steps away from them, getting ready to sit down in a chair near the bed, when they heard voices from the next room, and they didn't sound pleasant. 


	19. Chapter 19

Sirius started walking towards the door just as the knob turned and it began to swing open. The voices in the next room were immediately clear and Harry recognized Malfoy instantly, raising holy hell about something or other. Lupin came into the room as the four friends pulled apart and he closed the door behind him.  
  
"Remind me to say no the next time Albus asks me to fetch Draco Malfoy and bring him somewhere," Remus began, gritting his teeth. "I really thought I was going to have to put him in the body bind several times. It never should have taken so long to get here."  
  
"Oh c'mon Remus," Sirius laughed. "What did you honestly expect? If there's no reason to argue or fight on a particular matter, you can always count on a Malfoy to find one."  
  
"Too true," Remus replied, now allowing a small grin to cross his face. Glancing over to the students, however, his expression became somber. "How are you all holding up?" he asked, gently, slowly walking towards them.  
  
"I think we're all still shocked." Hermione said softly, looking up at Lupin. She glanced around at the others, who stayed silent. "Or at least.well I know I am."  
  
Remus nodded, kneeling down in front of Harry.  
  
"And what about you? Is there anything you need? We can have anything brought up to you if it will."  
  
"No," Harry cut in, smiling faintly. "Thank you but no, Right now I'm not hungry in the least.and I don't want anything at all from my room." he trailed off, trying not to think about his room, his things, his bed.  
  
Remus nodded, grinning reassuringly, before standing up and crossing back to Sirius.  
  
"We have to go," he began quietly. "Dumbledore is waiting for us with Cole and the Inquisitors."  
  
"No I'm not leaving," Sirius stated firmly. "Not after all that's happened tonight."  
  
"It's okay Sirius," Harry spoke up, hearing the conversation. "I'll be alright.if you need to go."  
  
"I don't need to." Sirius began.  
  
"Sirius this is important," Remus said in a loud whisper, looking urgently at his friend. "It's because of what's happened tonight that we do need you to be there.we can't allow this to happen again. They got too close.and they did what they did to prove how far their reach stretches."  
  
Sirius set his jaw stubbornly and crossed his arms over his chest, looking as if he would not be swayed. However, after looking again at Harry, who simply nodded once, Sirius let out a low sigh.  
  
"Alright Remus, I'm coming."  
  
He walked to where Harry was sitting on the bed, and pulled him once more into a fatherly embrace.  
  
"I'm coming back up here every chance I get, okay?" he asked as they separated.  
  
Harry nodded, grinning faintly.  
  
"Be careful," he said as his godfather crossed the room, joining Remus by the door.  
  
"Sleep tight kids," Remus said, smiling at them. Together the two of them went through the door, into the still noisy room beyond.  
  
As the door shut, Harry listened to the muffled yelling in the next room. Sirius said something loudly and it brought silence over the room. He heard hushed voices for a few moments before hearing another door, indicating Sirius and Remus had left completely.  
  
Sighing gently, Harry sat back. The others got up and started to their own beds, everyone quite drained from the evening's events. However, before any of them could even get into their beds, they heard a soft knock at the door, and looked up as it swung open.  
  
Neville poked his head in, looking shyly around the room. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but before he could get it out, was shoved roughly into the room from behind.  
  
"Get out of my way Longbottom!" Malfoy snarled as he stepped into the room, glaring angrily at the other boy. He pulled his gaze up quickly, glancing around the room, before resting his eyes on Harry. "What's this all about, Potter?" he demanded.  
  
"I'm not in the mood, Malfoy," Harry said evenly. "Just go to sleep."  
  
"No I will not! I was viciously dragged out of my common room by that disgusting werewolf who shouldn't even be allowed in the school in the first place, only to find out I had to share a room with a bunch of Gryffindors and." he trailed off, looking closer at Harry. Glancing around the room quickly, a bemused grin crossed his lips.  
  
"You've all been.crying," he drawled slowly. "What happened this time? Did someone else die? I'd just love to."  
  
But he never got to finish his sentence. Harry was off his bed in a flash, he lunged at Malfoy and they both hit the floor on their sides, each struggling to gain the upper hand. For the first time, no one attempted to pull Harry back.  
  
"Get off of me!" Malfoy screamed, pushing his hands into Harry's face, trying to force him away. Harry was filled with such anger at that moment, he could barely think. He was able to push Draco onto his back and felt the other boy's fingers pushing into his face, trying to find his eyes, and shook them away. He grasped a handful of material near Malfoy's neck, and pulling back his right arm, his hand balled into a fist, swung it down forcefully, swiping across his face.  
  
Malfoy let out a loud groan as his head knocked against the floor, blood freely running from his nose. He brought up his legs behind Harry, slamming his knees into his back, trying to get him off. Harry grunted, trying to shift his position, to avoid further blows. Twisting where he lay, Draco grabbed hold of Harry's arms, and once again, both boys were on their sides. He raised a leg, and kicked Harry in the stomach, hard, knocking the air out of him. As Harry began to cough, gasping for air, he caught sight of Ron about to intervene, and shook his head no.this was his fight.  
  
Before he could see any response however, Malfoy pulled him to his feet by his shirt. Having no time to react, Harry felt the blow as Malfoy's fist grazed his jaw, and his teeth clicked together painfully. He tasted blood, felt it running down his chin, but didn't spend any time worrying about it. With a sudden burst of energy, he lunged forward, grabbing Malfoy by his collar. Pushing forcefully, he slammed them both into the wall behind Draco, hearing him cry out in pain.  
  
Harry glared hatefully at his defender, his enemy, letting his anger simmer inside him. He felt Malfoy scratching at his hands, trying to relieve the pressure from his chest that Harry was pressing into forcefully, to no avail. Harry let it go on for just a few seconds, before opening his mouth to speak.  
  
"It should have been you," he spat vehemently, his eyes flashing dangerously. "It should have been you that died.not Cho. You aren't worth the air you breathe."  
  
Draco yanked at one of Harry's arms, trying to free himself from his grasp, but Harry shoved the other boy's hand away violently, pulling Draco slightly away from the wall and slamming him back into it, putting an arm across his chest.  
  
"Get your hands off of me!" Malfoy tried to yell, his voice coming out strained from the pressure on his throat. However, Harry paid no attention, his anger only increasing. For a moment it looked as if he were going to take another swing at Draco, but feeling a hand on his arm, he looked abruptly over his shoulder, to see Neville standing next to him.  
  
"Harry," Neville began warily, feeling the thick tension in the room, "C'mon, don't do this. He got what he deserved.there's no need to."  
  
"I don't think he's gotten anywhere near what he deserves, Neville," Ron spoke up stiffly, looking just as angry as Harry, his hands balled into fists at his sides and his teeth clenched.  
  
"Ron, the point is," Neville continued, firmly, "that this is not a good idea." He turned his gaze back to Harry, staring into his eyes. "You don't want to hurt him so badly that he has to go to the hospital wing, right? Even if he isn't badly hurt he'll do his best to convince Madam Pomfrey that he is, and then he'll stay there for the night."  
  
"I don't see a problem with that," Ron cut in again, smirking now, enjoying the nervous glint in Malfoy's eyes. "He doesn't want to be here with us anyway, let's give him a way out."  
  
"Ron, you don't get it!" Neville said, sounding slightly annoyed. "The hospital wing is much easier for intruders to get into than these rooms we're in now. If one of them found out he was the defender.it would be so easy just to."  
  
"They already know," Harry interrupted in a drained voice, still not loosening his grip on Malfoy, who had stopped struggling to listen to the conversation, his eyes darting apprehensively around the room.  
  
"What?" Hermione exclaimed, fearfully. "How? What do you mean? They know we're in here for tonight.?" she trailed off looking anxious.  
  
Harry shook his head, slowly.  
  
"No, they know that Draco," he paused, glaring disgustedly into the other boy's eyes, "is my defender."  
  
The room was silent for a few brief seconds, until Malfoy started struggling again. Harry glared at him hatefully, but didn't try to stop him this time. He let go of Draco's robes, and stepped back.  
  
"You're going to regret that," Malfoy muttered indignantly, rubbing at his chest and fixing Harry with a heated stare.  
  
"You're right," Harry replied flatly. "I already wish I'd hurt you more."  
  
"When my father hears about this," Malfoy began.  
  
"Give it up, Malfoy!" Harry shouted. "Voldemort wants to take your life just as badly as he wants to take mine. Telling your father isn't going to make anything better for you. And if I were you, I'd be afraid to be in the same room with Lucius right now.especially alone."  
  
"My father would never hurt me," Malfoy replied insistently.  
  
"Then Voldemort would be after him as well," Harry replied with a shrug. "I'm actually surprised you're still alive at all.seeing as how they know who you are."  
  
"I think you're lying," Draco retorted, his eyes narrowing. "You're trying to scare me and it's not going to work."  
  
Harry smiled, letting out a hollow laugh, and took a step closer to Malfoy.  
  
"I think," he began, looking piercingly into the other boy's eyes, "you're confusing me with yourself. I don't find amusement in playing with people's emotions."  
  
"Harry," Hermione spoke up again, crossing to her friend and placing a hand on his arm. "Just ignore him, alright? Please. Come and sit down, your lip is bleeding pretty badly."  
  
Harry brought his hand up, feeling the blood that was still oozing from where Malfoy had punched him. He nodded absently and turned away with her, moving towards the nearest chair.  
  
"Here," Hermione said evenly, turning back to Malfoy, she handed him a handkerchief from her robes. He looked at her confused for a moment and she lifted her hand to her face, indicating the area under her nose.  
  
"You're bleeding." she said flatly, "you might want to stop it."  
  
Ginny and Ron had come up beside Harry, who was now putting pressure on his wound, sitting back with his eyes closed.  
  
"How do they know Harry?" Neville spoke up, still not having moved from his spot. "You seem very sure Voldemort knows about Draco."  
  
"Did you overhear something?" Hermione piped up, anxiously.  
  
Harry opened his eyes, sitting up in his chair, and looked up at his friends. He held up a finger, indicating for them to give him a moment, before turning his gaze on Draco, who was fussing over his bloody nose.  
  
"Tell me, Malfoy," he began almost guardedly. "How much do you know about what's been going on here? The intruders we've been having.the entities."  
  
"The what?" Malfoy looked up, a puzzled expression etched on his face.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"You can't be the son of a death eater, especially one so close to Voldemort, and not know anything.I know he's told you things before."  
  
Draco glared at him again, looking ready to fight once more.  
  
"You assume too much, Potter," he sneered. "My father has never spoken about any entities to me.and while I know about the intruders, it's only because everyone in the school knows. I don't get any advance warning, if that's what you're implying."  
  
"Yes well you're also a Slytherin, and so therefore a liar," Harry replied vehemently. "I can't trust you not to keep this to yourself."  
  
"But Harry if you know something." Neville began, looking from Malfoy to Harry and back. "He needs to know.if he dies, then."  
  
"I know what happens," Harry cut him off. "But there's something I need to be sure of," he went on, looking directly at Malfoy. "I need to know you aren't going to repeat what I'm about to say to anyone, no matter how much you think you can trust them. It's something I want kept between the six of us, until we figure out the best course of action. I want your word Malfoy."  
  
"What's that worth?" Ron quipped before Draco could reply. "Forget it Harry, let him fend for himself. You know he'll never mean it, whether he gives his word or not he'll tell."  
  
"I don't believe he was talking to you, Weasley," Draco spat, his eyes filled with hate. But there was something else.intrigue.eagerness. He wanted to hear what Harry had to say.  
  
"What's it gonna be, Malfoy?" Harry asked, evenly.  
  
"Alright," Draco said quickly. "I promise. You have my word, I won't talk about this to anyone."  
  
Harry stared at Malfoy, feeling slightly uneasy. He didn't like having to trust him for anything, no matter how small the matter may be. But in this situation, he came to the decision he'd have to give Draco the benefit of the doubt. He had to know who to look out for, and even with as many times as he'd wished him dead, Harry didn't want to actually be responsible for Malfoy's death. Taking a deep breath, despite the looks of warning Ron was throwing him, Harry began to speak.  
  
"I think.no.I'm fairly certain, that Marzia is Saaneeraa," Harry said firmly.  
  
"How?" Neville asked, shock evident in his voice. "Why would you think that? I thought she was."  
  
"Let me explain," Harry cut him off. "On Halloween, when Marzia stopped the dementors, it seemed to hurt her. Sirius took her to their quarters where she was supposedly going to be resting for the remainder of the night at least. But then that also means she was the only one not accounted for during the whole incident with Percy. I don't know how Saaneeraa's power works, but if she needs to be close to a person in order to control them, being asleep in her bed would be a good reason why no one would suspect her."  
  
"And after having just saved everyone in Hogsmeade," Hermione added. "No one would even think to accuse her."  
  
"Exactly," Harry nodded.  
  
"I don't know Harry," Neville said, uncertainly. "That seems a little.thin."  
  
"I'm not done yet," he replied. "The night before the first quidditch match, Hermione went to speak with Marzia, to learn more about the magic of Faerun. She was gone for much longer than anyone expected her to be, but returned seemingly unharmed. The next day at the match, Ginny's broom was destroyed while she was on it.it was cursed. I found out later on, that it was Saaneeraa who cursed the broom, and Hermione had been the one to bring it to her."  
  
"Well how does that.?" Neville began.  
  
"She was being controlled Neville," Harry explained. She took the broom from Ginny's dorm that same night she spoke to Marzia, and brought it to Saaneeraa."  
  
"Which I still can't remember doing." Hermione trailed off, shivering involuntarily. Ron, who was standing beside her, slipped his arm around her waste, pulling her close to him. He kissed her forehead softly as she rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a shaky breath.  
  
Harry looked at them, feeling a pang of sadness inside, but turned his gaze away.  
  
"Then on Christmas morning, when I received the bottle. Marzia and Sirius came to look at it, and Sirius was acting quite strangely. I think she was controlling him, because she sent me the bottle. She knew what would happen eventually and didn't want to take the chance Dumbledore would confiscate it, so they reported back to him that everything was fine."  
  
"Harry," Neville began. "I agree these all sound very.suspicious.but any of the reasons you've given could also mean Marzia is being controlled too. I mean, on Halloween, we've no proof at all she had anything to do with what happened to Percy. When she spoke with Hermione, everything seems as if it went fine, and the broom was not cursed until later, long after their chat was over. Then with the bottle, you said Sirius was being controlled, maybe Marzia was too. I'm not trying to be difficult.but if you accuse her.and it ends up she's really not."  
  
"I've thought of that Neville," Harry said quietly. "It's the only reason I haven't said anything yet. But there is one more thing I haven't told you. Earlier today, I was up in the observatory." he trailed off wondering if he should tell them he was with Mel, when Ron spoke up.  
  
"What on earth would you be doing up there?" he asked, looking puzzled.  
  
"I was having dinner." he replied, lowering his voice before going on, "with Mel." He glanced around quickly at his friends' faces, noticing immediately how angry Ginny appeared, but no one said anything, so he continued.  
  
"We had been up there for a half hour, give or take, when I heard a noise at the door. Marzia came into the room, trying to remain silent; she didn't even see us until I called out to her. She told us one of the Inquisitors had informed her there was an intruder up there. After making sure both Mel and I had been introduced to them, she told us to go straight back to our common rooms, no stopping on the way. I think.I think she wanted me to see." he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence and looked down at his hands, blinking back tears. He felt Ron put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Wanted you to see what?" Neville inquired, looking confused.  
  
"Yeah what, Potter?" Malfoy spoke snidely. "Does it have something to do with why we're here tonight?"  
  
Harry nodded, forcing himself to look back up.  
  
"Yes it does," he replied stiffly, glaring at Draco. "I found Cho in my bed tonight, looking exactly as she did when she died."  
  
Draco's expression immediately changed. He was no longer smiling, and his eyes grew wider. Apparently, not even he could imagine doing such a thing.  
  
"Harry," Neville began, moving closer to him, holding his arms slightly out to his sides. "I'm so sorry."  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"Nothing you could have done," he said, emptily. "It only goes to show how easily Saaneeraa can get by anyone. No one saw her, obviously."  
  
An awkward silence fell over the room, which Harry hurried to break.  
  
"I think Marzia lied to us, about the Inquisitor informing her. If a death eater were to break into the school, what reason would the have to go up to the observatory?"  
  
"Well you were up there," Hermione replied quickly.  
  
"Yes but how would they know that?" Harry asked. "I'm sure no one would start by searching up there. And that's so far up, wouldn't one of the Inquisitors be able to sense an intruder before they made it that far?"  
  
"You're right," Hermione nodded. "That doesn't make sense."  
  
"So it must be Marzia then," Ron said evenly. "She's been against us from day one."  
  
"I'm still not sure," Neville spoke up. "There's one other thing that doesn't seem to fit."  
  
Everyone waited, as Neville seemed to collect his thoughts, when finally he took a deep breath, and began to speak.  
  
"Okay," he said. "Let's just say yes, everything you're assuming is true. Marzia is Saaneeraa and she has been behind everything from the beginning. Well why didn't she just take you then? She had your trust at first, I know she did. It would have been just as easy for her to take you out of here without using any magic back then, than it would be with her powers now."  
  
"Maybe she was waiting," Hermione suggested. "She didn't know who the defender was."  
  
"But she does now," Harry cut her off. "She was in the hospital wing with us when Cole explained it, she heard everything."  
  
"So why," Neville began again, "since she now knows for certain who the defender is, would she wait? If she's as powerful as we've been told, then it should be no problem for her."  
  
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "I can't understand why she would wait.I'm not saying I don't want her to.but it doesn't make sense."  
  
"Well it doesn't make sense whether it's Marzia or not," Ron said, suddenly. "Think about it, no matter who Saaneeraa is, we know she can get into the school easily, and she probably doesn't have too hard of a time getting information.even if it's someone we don't suspect they probably know about Malfoy."  
  
"But then what are they waiting for?" Hermione asked, sounding frustrated.  
  
"They're just playing with us," Harry shrugged, a dark expression on his face. "Trying to wear us down would be my guess."  
  
"It sounds to me like none of you really knows what you're talking about," Draco spoke up, at last, sounding appalled. "My life could be in danger and."  
  
"Your life?" Ron cried, enraged. "After all that you've just heard I." he paused, seething with anger. "I really shouldn't be surprised that's all you care about."  
  
"Well isn't that what I'm supposed to be concerned about?" Malfoy retorted. "If you want to keep Potter here alive." he said, gesturing towards Harry, "then I have to be alive, right? Or did I misunderstand what that lunatic, Cole was trying to tell me."  
  
Harry just shook his head in disgust.  
  
"If we do find out anything more, you can be certain we'll tell you. Maybe you could even try helping," he spoke bitterly, "if it's not too much trouble."  
  
Draco rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"I'm going to bed, talking to all of you is giving me a headache."  
  
Turning on the spot, he strode to the door, yanking it open harshly, before stepping through, and letting it slam behind him.  
  
Neville looked after him for a moment, before turning again to Harry.  
  
"Is there anything I can do for you? Anything you need?"  
  
"No, thank you," Harry shook his head faintly. "I think all I need right now is sleep."  
  
"You do look tired," Neville commented, quietly. "And I know you don't always sleep much."  
  
"Checking up on me, are you?" Harry asked with a wry grin.  
  
"More like I'm a light sleeper," Neville replied with a shrug. "If anyone does more then turn over in their sleep, I hear it."  
  
"Sorry to keep you up so much," Harry said.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Neville smiled. "Just get some rest, all of you," he said looking up at the others. "I'll see you all in the morning."  
  
"Good night Neville," Hermione said softly.  
  
"Sleep well," Ron added.  
  
Neville nodded once, before turning and heading for the door. He pulled it shut quietly behind him, leaving the four friends alone.  
  
Harry stood up, feeling confused and drained from the events of the day. He looked to his friends, about to tell them he was going to try and get some sleep, when Ginny spoke up, after not having spoken for most of the night.  
  
"Why were you up in the observatory with Mel?" she asked quietly, looking directly into Harry's eyes.  
  
"Ginny," Harry began, trying not to sound impatient, but tired of defending Mel to his friends. "I told you, we were having dinner."  
  
"Yes I heard that, but what it means is you were hanging out with her having a good time, when you couldn't even treat your real friends with some decency."  
  
"Ginny!" Ron cried, staring in shock at his sister, as Harry's jaw dropped in stunned silence. "What's gotten into you?"  
  
"Nothing's gotten into me!" Ginny said fiercely. "I don't understand why he can't see there's something not right about Mel.and don't try to act like you don't know what I'm talking about.you feel the same way!"  
  
Harry looked sharply at Ron.  
  
"Do you?" he asked, before turning to glance at Ginny and Hermione. "Do all of you.feel that way?"  
  
"I.well.it's just." Ron stammered, trying to find the words. "She shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry." he muttered.  
  
"Oh," Harry spoke emotionlessly. "I see. So all of you have just been lying to me about."  
  
"I haven't lied about anything," Ginny interrupted.  
  
Harry's eyes flickered in her direction, before speaking again.  
  
"Fine, so neither of you," he said, looking from Ron to Hermione, "were telling the truth when you told me you liked Mel. Why did you say it then?"  
  
"Harry.we do like her," Hermione said slowly.  
  
"But?" Harry prompted.  
  
"There's just something not right about her," Ron blurted out.  
  
"Could you be a bit more vague, perhaps?" Harry asked sardonically. "What is so wrong with her that you all don't trust her.or don't like her.or.what exactly do you feel towards her?" he finished, looking around questioningly.  
  
"Don't you remember when you first met her?" Ginny began. "And all she seemed to care about were house points.you didn't trust her back then. She would say what needed to be said to get out of trouble.whether it was the truth or not."  
  
"I remember," Harry said. "But as I got to know her better she seemed to change. I'm sure she still cares about house points.but we're friends now. She wouldn't just."  
  
"Or she just wants you to think you're friends," Ginny retorted.  
  
"Ginny stop, this isn't the time." Hermione began.  
  
"No Hermione," Harry interrupted, keeping his gaze set firmly on Ginny. "I want to hear this. Am I no longer allowed to choose my friends, is that it? Or are you jealous."  
  
Ginny blushed furiously the second the words left Harry's mouth. She turned her gaze to the floor, unable to meet his eyes any longer.  
  
"I'm just saying Mel is not someone you should trust so easily," she muttered.  
  
"And I thank you for your concern," Harry replied, sincerely, deciding not to comment any further on the issue of whether or not she was jealous. "But I don't think I have anything to worry about. I'm sorry that I shut all of you out over the past few days, I feel more guilty than I can say, but my spending time with Mel had nothing to do with preferring her company to yours. She still doesn't know what happened after Christmas, so she wasn't asking the questions I was avoiding.the ones that all of you.my closest friends, were asking."  
  
"You don't have to apologize for spending time with Mel, Harry," Ron said, smiling faintly.  
  
"But please just make sure you're careful when you're around her," Hermione added.  
  
Harry nodded, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.  
  
"I'd like all of you to try to be a little more accepting of the fact that I want to continue being friends with her. If the only reason you don't trust her is because of how she acted when I first met her then."  
  
"That's not the only reason," Ron cut in. "We just don't know why her attitude changed. She did seem to become.nicer.towards you then she was at first. And at the dance it was certainly clear that she and Malfoy were not on good terms at all. But you have to consider the possibility.no matter how much you don't want to.that this could be a set up. She may just want you to think she's your friend, but in fact is only trying to get closer to you for some other reason." he trailed off, shrugging almost apologetically.  
  
"You think Voldemort has her watching me.trying to get close to me?" Harry asked, smirking slightly.  
  
"Why not?" Hermione asked, quietly. "It wouldn't be the first time he had someone who seemed to be a friend gain your trust.only to turn on you later."  
  
"But Mel has been here for years," Harry argued, "never once has she even spoken to me."  
  
"That doesn't mean she isn't on Voldemort's side," Ginny said evenly.  
  
"She was hurt in an accident that Malfoy caused!" Harry cried, now feeling annoyed. "I saved her, she didn't seem to care as long as Slytherin didn't lose points.it was only after we started running into each other more that we talked.got to know each other."  
  
"Exactly," Hermione said. "As you started running into each other more. Were these meetings just random? Or planned."  
  
"And," Ginny continued. "Who is she always sending owls to? You always talk about meeting her in the owlery."  
  
Harry shook his head, wishing he could express his feeling better to his friends. If they knew Mel the way he did, they surely wouldn't say the things they were now.  
  
"I don't know who the owls are to," Harry admitted, quietly. "Maybe I'll ask her the next time I see her if it'll make you happy. As for everything else.I'm sorry but I just don't see her as a threat. She's never once tried to do anything to hurt me, or any of you.and unless she does." he trailed off, shrugging. He turned around and headed for the bed he had picked for the night, pulling back the covers and finding a spare set of nightclothes under the pillow.  
  
"I'm sorry to cut this short," he spoke again, picking up the clothes. "But I'm really tired."  
  
"So am I," Ron said, heading for the bed next to Harry, dropping the subject willingly.  
  
"Yes it is rather late," Hermione added.  
  
"Sleep well guys," Harry spoke again, not failing to notice Ginny's silence, but not mentioning it either. He stepped behind a divider set up next to his bed and quickly changed, and one at a time the others followed suit.  
  
Slipping into bed, Harry laid his head against the pillow, listening to his friends doing the same. It wasn't long before he heard the sounds of their deep breathing, and he was left alone, with his thoughts.  
  
Harry opened his eyes slowly. The room was still quite dark and he didn't know how long he'd been asleep. Sitting up, he grabbed his glasses from the table next to his bed, when suddenly he heard a noise right beside him.  
  
Spinning around where he sat, he squinted his eyes in the darkness, straining to see. He could barely make out the shape of someone sitting in a chair near his bed and after a few seconds of tense silence he realized what the noise was; they were snoring.  
  
Feeling slightly relieved, as surely no one there to harm him would take a nap next to his bed, he leant forward further, sliding towards the edge to see the person better. There was barely any light coming in through the high windows, and he didn't want to do anything that might wake the others.  
  
All of a sudden, the person became quiet, moving in the chair. He heard them grunt, clearing their throat, and in that instant recognized who it was.  
  
"Sirius?" he whispered.  
  
"Harry?" his godfather replied, groggily. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."  
  
"No, you didn't," Harry replied quickly, keeping his voice down, "I just woke up, but didn't hear you until after."  
  
"Can't sleep?" Sirius asked, as he sat up in the chair, his shadow leaning towards Harry. "I can go ask Madam Pomfrey for."  
  
"No," Harry cut him off. "Please don't. I don't feel like sleeping right now."  
  
"Do you want to talk?" Sirius asked, then rushed on quickly. "But I don't want to force you to. How about a cup of tea? I'll be glad to make us one."  
  
"Tea sounds good," Harry laughed, enjoying his godfather's concern. "Though I don't want to wake everyone."  
  
"We won't," Sirius replied, "C'mon, let's go."  
  
"Where are we.?" Harry began, swinging his legs over the side as Sirius stood.  
  
"I'll show you," he replied, guiding Harry around the furniture in the darkness. The two of them went silently across the room in the shadows, and Sirius led him through several rooms, until they were back in Dumbledore's office.  
  
Harry felt strange being there with no lights, seeing only the shadows cast across the floor in the eerie glow of the moon. But they didn't stop there. Sirius opened another door that Harry didn't even know was there, on the opposite side of the office, between two bookshelves.  
  
It looked like a regular section of the wall but slid into the shelf on the left, revealing another room behind it. They stepped through and Sirius lit a candle directly on the wall to their right, bathing the room in a warm glow. Harry saw immediately that it was a little kitchenette.  
  
"Why would Dumbledore need one of these?" he asked, looking up at his godfather.  
  
"Sometimes he likes food that isn't prepared by the house elves," Sirius replied with a smile, winking at Harry. "You should try his pancakes, best you'll ever have."  
  
Harry smirked as he crossed to the small table on the right side of the room, taking a seat, and watched Sirius search the cabinets for some the tea. He filled the kettle on the stove with water, and set it on one of the burners, before sitting across from his godson while they waited for it to boil.  
  
"So you don't seem tired," Sirius began, looking over at Harry. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"I guess so," Harry shrugged. "I don't even know what time I finally fell asleep.or for how long."  
  
"Did you stay up with the others?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Yes, we talked some.Neville came in to find out what happened." he trailed off.  
  
"What about Malfoy?" Sirius asked. "He didn't give you any problems, did he? He was putting up quite a fuss just before I left."  
  
Harry let out a small laugh, shaking his head.  
  
"What?" Sirius grinned. "What happened?"  
  
"He stopped in for a bit, yes," Harry replied, before going on to tell him a little of what had happened.  
  
"That little git!" Sirius cried angrily. "Good for you, finally giving him what he deserves, slimy little ferret." He grinned with obvious pride at his godson and Harry was sure Dumbledore would not be pleased with the reason for his godfather's expression at that moment, but he didn't care. Malfoy had gotten off easy as far as he was concerned.  
  
"So how did this fight get started, anyway?" Sirius asked. "Not that it would take much," he joked, "considering that it was with Malfoy."  
  
"Well," Harry began uncertainly. "It.he.he said something, that was insulting.it was just bad timing on his part. I didn't handle it well."  
  
"What did he say?" Sirius prompted, gently.  
  
"Nothing," Harry replied with a shrug. "It doesn't matter.I don't really want to get into it again right now."  
  
"Okay," Sirius answered, nodding. "We won't talk about it then."  
  
"Thanks," Harry replied, grinning faintly. "How did your meeting go? Or...whatever it was."  
  
"Not as good as I'd hoped," Sirius said glumly. "The inquisitors may not have the ability to sense any of the entities. Even if all the death eaters are caught or killed, it makes no difference if they're still able to get in unnoticed. We don't know where they're entering from so we can't block it off or station guards, and it doesn't seem like we're making much progress."  
  
"Wonderful," Harry commented, sardonically. "Is there any good news.at all?"  
  
"At this time," Sirius began, "only that at least for the moment you and your friends are safe, and there are going to be added protections to all of the student dorms to make sure it stays that way."  
  
"What about." Harry began cautiously. "What if these protections aren't enough?"  
  
"Well we're going to make it so they will be," Sirius replied. "No one who is unaware of the new defense will be able to pass and."  
  
"What if they're already aware?" Harry cut him off. "They might have been listening in to you when you were speaking about it."  
  
"Harry, we were alone when we spoke, no one heard us."  
  
"But what if they did?" Harry pressed, wanting to scream his suspicions about Marzia. "What if they've heard everything we've been planning since the very beginning?"  
  
"Harry," Sirius began, eyeing his godson suspiciously, "is there something you know.something you're not telling me?"  
  
Harry looked directly into his godfather's eyes; feeling he should take the opportunity, tell him about Marzia. It would upset him no doubt, but wouldn't it be better to take that chance? He opened his mouth to speak, to tell his suspicions, when suddenly the kettle began to shake, almost violently, letting off a high-pitched wail to indicate the water was boiling.  
  
"Hold that thought," Sirius said as he stood up and went to the stove, turning off the burner. Harry watched as his godfather poured the water into mugs, seeing the steam float up on the air, wafting towards the ceiling, lazily.  
  
"Here you are," Sirius said, setting a cup down in front of Harry gently before taking a seat across from him once again. "Now, what were you going to say?"  
  
"Only that." Harry began, having lost some of his courage, "we need to be careful.what if Saaneeraa is one of us?" he asked cautiously, glancing up at Sirius.  
  
"One of us?" Sirius repeated. "As in.controlling one of us?" he asked, raising his still piping hot mug to his lips.  
  
"No," Harry replied, measuring sugar into his own cup, "I mean disguised as one of us."  
  
"The entities unfortunately do have that ability," Sirius stated. "We just have to hope we can recognize when someone is acting differently than they normally would."  
  
"Unless," Harry continued, quickly, "whoever it is has been with us as Saaneeraa since they first arrived here."  
  
"You sound like you've thought this through quite a bit," Sirius said, setting his mug down softly. "Who is it you suspect?"  
  
Harry opened his mouth, ready to say it, wanting to say it.but couldn't. He was unable to accuse Marzia, the woman his godfather loved, whom he seemed happiest with, without having proof. It didn't matter how positive he, himself was, if all he had for his godfather were his suspicions. If Neville had been able to argue Harry's points, Sirius would have no trouble shooting them down as well.  
  
"I'm not sure enough yet," Harry said quietly, looking at his mug, stirring its contents absently, "to say any names."  
  
Sirius raised an eyebrow, catching Harry's gaze briefly before his godson lowered his eyes again.  
  
"You don't sound like you mean that," he prompted. "If there's someone you don't trust.it would be best for you to tell me, no matter how.thin.you believe your reasons to be."  
  
Harry didn't know what to say, he didn't want to lie to Sirius but he didn't feel right about accusing Marzia at this moment. Looking up at his godfather once more, he started to tell him again that he wasn't sure enough one way or another to say any names, when a door on the opposite side of the kitchen slid open, and Dumbledore shuffled into the room.  
  
"Oh," he said, noticing the two of them at the table and smiling warmly. "Good morning Sirius, Harry. Up early today?"  
  
"Good morning professor," Harry replied with a nod.  
  
"Hello Albus," Sirius smiled.  
  
Dumbledore joined them at the table, wearing his nightclothes and dark blue robe. He took a seat in between the others and leaned back.  
  
"Did I interrupt something? An important conversation, perhaps?" he asked.  
  
"No, no," Harry said quickly before Sirius could reply. "Nothing big, really."  
  
"I see," Dumbledore replied, catching Sirius' quizzical look at his godson.  
  
There was a brief silence between the three men, and Harry cleared his throat awkwardly, turning to the headmaster.  
  
"Will we.can we go back to our dorms today?" he asked, slowly.  
  
"If you feel you are ready to return," Dumbledore began seriously, "then you may do so, yes. If not, you are more than welcome to use these rooms for the remainder of the holidays at the very least."  
  
Harry thought for a moment, considering how inviting that suggestion sounded. He wouldn't have to worry about any of his classmates asking him anything.and he wasn't too sure he'd be able to look at his bed again without seeing Cho. However, he steeled his resolve. No more hiding from questions and avoiding others. Moreover, he was most certainly not going to show Voldemort how badly this horrible stunt of his had affected him.  
  
"I'm ready, yes," Harry stated evenly. But now his thoughts were on Cho, and he did all he could not to picture her face as he'd last seen it, the memory was too painful. "She's not.there anymore, right?" he asked, staring past both of them, seeing his bed, her lying in it, eyes wide.  
  
"No, no of course not," Sirius replied.  
  
"Where did you take her?"  
  
"We brought her body down to the hospital wing, where she will remain until Mr. and Mrs. Chang come to retrieve her."  
  
"They know?" Harry whispered, feeling sorrow for her parents. After how hard these last few days had been for him, he could only imagine the pain this would cause them.  
  
"I spoke with them a few days ago," Dumbledore replied, "and then again just last night, letting them know what happened. They are coming to pick her up today. The funeral will be in just a few days."  
  
"Funeral?" Harry cried, suddenly realizing he hadn't even though about this until just now when Dumbledore mentioned it.  
  
"Yes, her funeral," Sirius repeated gently. Harry looked down at his hands; it was all real again. He was fine when he didn't think about it, but when he was forced to finally do so, his emotions always seemed to get the better of him, and after last night, he just didn't want to fight them anymore.  
  
"Will I be able to go?" Harry asked gently, looking up at the headmaster. He was taken aback, however, when he saw a glint of anger flash in Dumbledore's eyes.  
  
"I am afraid," Dumbledore spoke slowly, pronouncing each syllable, "that you cannot attend Cho's funeral, Harry."  
  
"W-Why not?" Harry asked, his voice unsteady. "Please don't tell me it's because of the possibility of an attack.I'd rather chance it.it'll be my last chance to say good-bye."  
  
"If that were the only reason," Dumbledore interrupted, "I would find a way to get you there, with as much protection as possible, but it is not."  
  
"Then.then what is it?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"The Changs, "Dumbledore began stiffly, "have requested that you not attend."  
  
"What?" Sirius cried, clearly outraged. "How could they."  
  
"Sirius," Harry interrupted before his godfather could get going, his voice eerily calm. "It's okay. I understand why they don't want me there.they blame me."  
  
"They have no right to!" Sirius said fiercely, standing abruptly, his eyes flashing dangerously. He turned on the headmaster, fuming. "You can't tell me you're going to just let this stand! He deserves to be able to say good-bye properly!"  
  
"This is one thing I'm afraid to say," Dumbledore spoke quietly, "is out of my hands. If Russell and Carol do not want Harry at their only daughter's funeral, there is nothing I can do to change that. While I believe what they're asking is shameful, I am the one who has no right.no right to go against their wishes."  
  
Dumbledore looked away from Sirius, who appeared very ready to continue arguing the matter, and faced Harry.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Harry," he said quietly. "I would never have thought they would want it this way. Cho loved you, and they know this."  
  
"It's alright," Harry murmured, sounding much more at ease than he was feeling. His heart felt as if it had been ripped from his chest, and now he was numb with grief. "I wouldn't want me there either," he shrugged, "now that I'm thinking about it. If Voldemort sent anyone.well.it would be a dishonor to Cho's memory to have that happen at her funeral."  
  
"It's a dishonor to her memory to not have you there," Sirius insisted, vehemently. "When will they be arriving? I want to speak with."  
  
"Sirius please!" Harry cried suddenly, startling his godfather. "Please just let it go," he finished in a whisper, a pained expression on his face. "I don't want to fight over this.I can't."  
  
"Harry," Sirius replied, his face a mixture of sadness and defeat, "I won't say anything.if that's what you want. But they are treating this as if it is your fault.and I want to know.I want to hear it from your mouth.that you don't blame yourself. You are not responsible for what happened."  
  
Harry was silent for a moment, trying to choose his words carefully. He glanced at Dumbledore, who was watching, waiting for him to speak, before turning to face his godfather.  
  
"I did blame myself at first, for Cho, for Mrs. Figgs, for Cedric.anyone that Voldemort killed to get to me.well it had to be my fault. If he wasn't after me, they all would be alive right now."  
  
"That isn't." Sirius started.  
  
"But," Harry spoke firmly, loudly, cutting him off. "After last night, I finally started to listen.to what Ron, Hermione, you.everyone was trying to tell me all along. I feel so helpless sometimes," he said, his voice breaking slightly, allowing a small sigh to escape his lips, "and I hate to admit it. But.there.there was nothing I could have done." he trailed off, feeling his eyes well up. He wiped at them under his glasses with the back of his hand, hearing Sirius move towards him, and feeling his godfather's comforting grip on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry muttered, somewhat sheepishly.  
  
"You have nothing.nothing.to be sorry about," Sirius said firmly, his voice thick with emotion. He knelt down next to his godson, turning him gently by the shoulders to be sure their eyes met. "I am so proud of you Harry. You've been through more than anyone should ever have to go through in their entire life, and you're still so young. With each obstacle you face, you only come out stronger, and for that I admire and respect you. You don't flaunt your fame, or try to gain friends using your tales of heroics.you're just you, trying to be a normal teenager, and I love you."  
  
Harry smiled, a real smile, at his godfather. He leant forward as Sirius pulled him into an embrace and felt some of his tension melt away. He believed he would always be able to face what was thrown at him, knowing he was loved so deeply, as a son would be loved by a father.  
  
As they separated, Harry sat back in his chair, sighing inaudibly. He didn't want to think any further on the subject of Cho's funeral, but there was one question he felt he had to ask.  
  
"Do you think," he began, looking at Dumbledore, "that the Changs are still being controlled? We know they had to be under some kind of spell when Sirius and Marzia were there." he trailed off, hopefully.  
  
"At that time yes, they were being controlled," Dumbledore spoke evenly, "but since then they have shown evidence to the contrary. Cho and I had made contact with them on several occasions, and they responded to her just as she would have expected them to. When they come here later today I will be able to better determine if they are truly back to themselves or not, but until then, we must wait."  
  
Harry nodded, faintly.  
  
"I guess I can't talk with them, then?" Harry asked, hopefully.  
  
"If you would like," Dumbledore replied, "I will speak with them when they arrive.and ask if they would like to talk with you."  
  
"I don't think we should bother asking," Sirius quipped, anger quite evident in his voice. "The way they're treating Harry is uncalled for and."  
  
"Sirius," Dumbledore interrupted fiercely. "I realize how strongly you feel about this, and I couldn't agree more. Harry does not deserve this treatment, but we must be understanding of the Changs' feelings as well. They have lost their only daughter. We cannot attempt to force them into doing anything they don't want to, it will only make things worse."  
  
"I don't want to force them into anything," Harry replied quickly, cutting off Sirius as he opened his mouth to argue again. "If they will talk with me, great.if not.that's their choice."  
  
"As I said," Dumbledore spoke again, "when they arrive, I will speak with them, and call for you if they agree."  
  
"Thank you," Harry said, nodding at the headmaster. He looked again to his godfather, who still looked very unhappy about the whole situation, but didn't want to get back into the argument again. "I think I want to get a bit more sleep, unless there's something else we need to talk about.?"  
  
"You need your rest," Sirius said quickly, his expression changing instantly to one of concern, "Go get some sleep, I know you didn't get much last night."  
  
"Make sure I'm awake when they come though, please?" Harry asked, looking again at the headmaster.  
  
"I promise," Dumbledore nodded with a faint smile.  
  
"Thank you," Harry said. He glanced once more at Sirius, who smiled reassuringly at him, before turning away and heading for the door that led back into the office. Everything was still dark but the coloring of the sky through the windows told him it would not be long until the sun was up. He shuffled across the room to the door that led into the maze of sleeping quarters beyond it, and made his way back to where his friends were still sleeping. Creeping silently in and shutting the door behind him, Harry went back to the last empty bed and slid between the sheets once more. As his head touched the pillow, he realized how tired he now felt, and barely had enough energy left to put his glasses on the table, before he was sleeping soundly.  
  
After what felt like only moments, Harry heard noises in the room around him. Lifting his eyelids, which felt all too heavy, he peered around the room, his vision a blur.  
  
"Harry, you up?" he heard Ron's voice ask, barely above a whisper.  
  
"I-I am.now," Harry replied, trying to stifle a yawn as he spoke.  
  
"Oh, did we wake you?" Hermione asked. "Sorry, we were trying to be quiet."  
  
"What time is it?" Harry asked groggily, pushing himself up into a sitting position before reaching to the table for his glasses.  
  
"It's almost ten," Hermione answered. "We were just about to go look for Dumbledore."  
  
"Oh," Harry replied, pushing back the covers and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He raised his arms above his head in a great stretch, and wished he'd had even a bit more sleep, but as he let them drop to his sides he tried to shake the feeling away. "What for? Is there something we need to ask him?"  
  
"Er.yes.to see if we're.well.if we can go back, you know.upstairs."Ron stammered, not wanting to bring up anything from last night.  
  
"We can," Harry stated flatly as he stood.  
  
"How do you know?" Ginny asked, curiously.  
  
"I woke up very early today," Harry replied as he grabbed his clothes and headed for the divider. "I spoke with Sirius and Dumbledore, and they said if we were ready, we could go back."  
  
"Are you?" Hermione asked, concerned.  
  
Harry didn't reply. He undressed quickly and pulled on the same clothes he'd worn the day before. As he adjusted his glasses after straightening his sweater, he stepped out to see his three friends waiting for his response.  
  
"I told Dumbledore I was," he said. "And honestly I'm not really sure if it was the truth.but I know I need to force myself to go back if it isn't. The longer I wait.the worse it will be."  
  
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, quietly. "I'm not saying to wait a month or anything.but maybe just a few days."  
  
"No," Harry replied. He wasn't arguing, but rather stating his feelings. "I think it'll just be best to go straight back. This way at least, if Voldemort has anyone here, waiting for my reaction.they can't tell him I'm hiding from my own room. I won't let it affect me that badly."  
  
Hermione still looked unsure about Harry's decision, but knew by the determined expression on his face it would be useless to argue.  
  
"Well," Ron spoke, breaking the silence. "If we're all ready."  
  
"Let's go," Harry finished, starting for the door.  
  
The four friends left the room together. They saw Neville, Malfoy and the others had already gone, and continued on to the office. As they made their way down the stairs Hermione looked at Harry again.  
  
"What else did you talk about this morning?" she inquired. "Did Dumbledore tell you anything about the meeting? Or the Inquisitors?"  
  
"He didn't tell me very much," Harry replied as they walked towards the Gryffindor tower. "But I'll tell you what I know."  
  
"I can't believe the Changs would be so cruel!" Ginny exclaimed for the umpteenth time as they finally reached the portrait of the fat lady.  
  
"Ginny," Harry sighed. "There's nothing I can do.I hope they at least agree to speak with me today.even if it doesn't change their mind about the funeral.at least I can tell them how sorry I am."  
  
"You're not going to go along with them though, right." Ron asked.  
  
"What do you.?" Harry began.  
  
"You told us yourself they blame you," Hermione interrupted, gently. "And if you talk to them.you can't let them convince you they're right. Tell them how sorry you are.but don't apologize."  
  
"I'm going to say whatever I can," Harry said firmly, "if it will change their minds." They had stepped through into the common room and were hovering, uncertainly, in front of the closed portrait hole.  
  
"Maybe we should go down to breakfast first," Hermione said suddenly.  
  
"Good idea!" Ron piped up, eagerly. "I'm starving now that you."  
  
"Guys," Harry interrupted, a knowing look on his face. "Go down to breakfast if you're hungry.I'm going upstairs first."  
  
"Yes, but."  
  
"Hermione, no." Harry stated firmly. "I don't want to put it off.because I'll think of another excuse next time, and the time after that, and the time after that.do you see the vicious cycle this could start?" he smirked, attempting to make a joke out of it.  
  
"If you're sure." Hermione began.  
  
"We're coming," Ron stated.  
  
Harry grinned at his friends and the four of them again started walking, their was barely anyone around as most students were at breakfast, so they didn't have to answer any question as to their whereabouts for the previous night, for the time being.  
  
As he reached the door to the seventh-years boys' dorm, Harry didn't even hesitate. He pushed the door open quickly and stepped in.  
  
"That wasn't so hard," he muttered to himself, but his voice was slightly uneven. Stop it, he thought, just go over there.it's just your bed, the one you've slept in for the past four months now go!  
  
He walked across the room, feeling his friends silently watching him as he did so, and stopped in front of his four-poster. At least whoever had been the last one in there the night before had had the good decency to leave the curtains drawn back. Harry didn't think he could have pulled them open if they'd been closed.  
  
He looked at the sheets, pressed and starched. They weren't the same as had been there the previous night. Harry ran his hand across them, feeling almost awkward as he did so. He thought how funny this might look to someone who was unaware of all that had happened, grinning despite himself at the image.  
  
"Well that's a good sign," Ron said, drawing Harry out of his thoughts.  
  
"What is?" Harry asked.  
  
"You're smiling," Ron replied happily.  
  
"Just a silly thought I was having." Harry said with a casual wave of his hand.  
  
"Well then keep thinking it," Hermione said. "Because it's good to see you smile again."  
  
Harry laughed a little at her comment, feeling some of his tension release. Looking down at his hand, suddenly he did feel a bit silly and pulled it away.  
  
"So," Ron began again, attempting to change the subject. "You never did tell us.about the crystals." He walked across the room as he spoke and stopped directly in front of the trunk that contained the stones.  
  
"That's right!" Hermione started, moving to follow Ron. "What was it like? What do they do?"  
  
"Calm down guys," Harry laughed at their eager expressions. Ginny came up beside her brother, looking just as anxious as the other two. "I honestly don't know much yet."  
  
"Can we see them?" Ron asked.  
  
"Sure," Harry shrugged. "I don't see why not." Moving in front of the trunk, he knelt down at eye level with the keyhole just as he'd done the previous morning, and waited. The lock sprang open once again and the lid slowly rose to reveal the fourteen exquisite psicrystals.  
  
"Wow," Ron breathed.  
  
"They're beautiful," Ginny commented.  
  
"How do they work?" Hermione asked, not taking her eyes from the gems as she spoke.  
  
Harry was barely hearing his friends, however. He was listening, intently; to what he was sure was whispering, coming from the crystals.  
  
There were too many voices, all whispering fiercely. Harry leant over the crystals, straining to understand. They were all clear, he couldn't tell them apart at the moment, but he knew, without a doubt, they were trying to say something.  
  
"Hello, earth to Harry." Ron said with a grin, waving his hand up and down in front of Harry's face. "You still with us?"  
  
"Hmmm? Oh.sorry." Harry murmured, glancing absently at his friend before returning his gaze to the crystals.  
  
"What is it?" Hermione asked, looking from Harry to the crystals and back. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"I don't know." Harry answered quietly.  
  
"Well something must be.what is it you're seeing.or hearing.?" she prompted.  
  
"I can't understand it," Harry replied. "They're talking too low."  
  
"They talk?" Ron asked, his eyes lighting up. "Wicked."  
  
"Well, you won't be able to hear them," Harry said, looking up at his friend. "I'm the only one that can."  
  
"And they're talking to you now?" Hermione asked, before Ron had a chance to respond.  
  
"They're whispering." Harry replied, returning his gaze to the stones.  
  
"Did they whisper yesterday?" Ginny asked gently.  
  
"No," Harry laughed. "No they certainly did not. I heard them loud and clear.except for two. They didn't speak at all. Memory and courage."  
  
"What and what?" Ron asked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"The crystals each embody a different personality or emotion," Harry explained. And I felt those emotions magnified to the point where it was the only thing I could think of the first time I touched each crystal. Afterwards, for the most part, they all had something to say to me, except for the memory crystal and the courage crystal."  
  
"Why do you think that is?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged.  
  
"I'm not sure.I suppose they just didn't have anything to say." he trailed off, as the whispering grew louder and more confusing. Ever so slowly, he began to lift his hand, reaching for the nearest stone.  
  
"Harry wait!" Ginny hissed, reaching over and pressing the palm of her hand against the top of his. "Don't you think you should get Gazten? Or Cole even? Maybe this isn't such a good idea." she trailed off, glancing nervously down at the stones.  
  
"I'm not going to try and use them," Harry replied quickly. "I just want to know what they're saying." He met her gaze evenly, waiting. After only a few seconds, she sighed softly and pulled her hand away, still looking very uncertain. Harry turned back to the crystals, feeling both eager and nervous, he again reached for the nearest stone.  
  
Hesitating barely a second, letting his fingers hover above the gem, he closed his grip over it and pulled it gently out of the trunk.  
  
The second he did so, however, everything went still. The crystals stopped speaking in hushed tones and made no further sound. Harry looked at the stone in his hand. He loosened his grip, then tightened it again.he brought the crystal up and held it next to his ear as a last resort, but it remained silent.  
  
The minutes ticked by slowly, the four students all kneeling on the floor around the trunk, all waiting anxiously.  
  
"Anything?" Ron asked finally, startling Hermione, who had been leaning forward motionlessly. She let out a small nervous laugh at her own reaction, before turning her attention again to Harry.  
  
"Nothing," Harry replied, smirking faintly at Hermione. "They're not even." he trailed off, feeling the stone in his hand suddenly begin to grow warm.  
  
"Hang on," he murmured.  
  
The four of them stared intently at the crystal, no one sure what to expect. Harry could feel heat coming from the gem, which he didn't recall happening at all the day before. It wasn't hurting or burning, but it was a definite clear feeling nonetheless. Another minute went by.two minutes.three. The warm feeling stayed, but nothing else changed. Harry glanced up at his friends and shrugged. He knew something was happening, but he didn't know what it was, or how to find out without Cole or Gazten there to help him.  
  
Sighing inwardly, he decided to wait. No point in sitting there all morning trying to figure it out. He shrugged again at his friends, indicating he was done trying for now, before extending his arm and lowering the crystal down into the trunk once more. The crystal was slipped into its place in the old wooden chest and Harry was about to let go when suddenly he heard a voice.a very familiar voice.  
  
'Aren't you going to accept us?'  
  
Harry's jaw dropped as he heard his own voice talking to him, coming from the crystal in his hand. Moving slowly, he carefully lifted the crystal out of the trunk yet again, and looked upon it with curiosity and awe.  
  
"What are you.?" Hermione began, questioningly, but stopped mid- sentence as Harry held up a hand, indicating for her to wait.  
  
"Give me just a minute," he murmured, barely taking his eyes from the stone to glance at her.  
  
Did I imagine that? He thought to himself. He looked at the gem expectantly, waiting. It wasn't as if he could even ask his friends if they'd heard it as well, which he was only now fully realizing what a problem that could be. Lifting the crystal closer to his face, he looked at it from eye level. Why did it speak to him then, and why did it share his voice when today, when yesterday all the voices had been different? He opened his mouth; ready to ask it if it actually had spoken when he heard the voice again.  
  
'Don't talk aloud; just think what you want to say. It is much easier to communicate that way.'  
  
Harry nodded absently, his mind racing, but he forced himself to calm down. Lowering the crystal slightly, he thought of his first question.  
  
'What did you mean when you first spoke to me before?'  
  
'I asked if you were going to accept us,' came the crystal's simple reply.  
  
'How can I accept you? What do you mean?' Harry asked.  
  
'You must relax.it is the only way.'  
  
"Harry?" Ron's voice broke through his thoughts. He pulled his gaze from the crystal and looked up at his friend. "What's going on Harry?" he asked, concern etched across his features.  
  
"Is it talking?" Hermione asked, gesturing at the crystal clenched tightly in Harry's hand.  
  
"I just need another minute," he said, quickly. "Please.I won't be long." he trailed off, lowering his eyes to the stone again. He heard Hermione speak again, but wasn't paying attention; his mind was already speaking again to the crystal.  
  
'What do I need to do?'  
  
'Let go of your stress.release your tension.'  
  
Harry took a deep breath, holding it for a second, before letting it out slowly. He did it again, feeling the air cleanse his lungs. He was very aware of his stance all of a sudden and began to relax his muscles. His grip on the stone loosened considerably and he let his shoulders fall naturally, feeling he pressure on his back let up slightly.  
  
A minute passed, and Harry could feel his friend's eyes upon him, curious as to what he was doing, but he didn't look up to see, or open his mouth to explain. It was almost as if he were in a trance, and he didn't want to pull himself out.  
  
Glancing down through eyes that were barely open, he saw the crystal had begun to glow, a deep brilliant gold, and recognized it instantly as the courage crystal. He could feel its power now, it was as if it were surging through him, and he wanted to hold it, to embrace it. It was a part of him.  
  
After a few seconds more, he released his grip on the crystal entirely, somehow knowing this was what had to be done. He watched lazily as it hovered above his hand, the glow from within illuminating the room.  
  
It levitated itself up until it was at eye level with Harry, and remained there for less than a second. Harry could tell something was going to happen.something had to happen, but he didn't know what. But just as he started to ask the crystal what to do next, the glowing gold light winked out, and the stone shattered into a million pieces, right in front of his eyes. 


	20. Chapter 20

Harry heard the collective gasp of his friends and knew they'd seen it too, but he was not worried. The crystal appeared to have been destroyed, but Harry knew for a fact it had not been, he could still feel its aura in the space around him. A golden haze was floating in the air above, and he didn't need to be told, it was the essence of the crystal.  
  
"What happened?" Ron asked, his voice on the verge of panic.  
  
"How did it break?" Ginny asked, her tone matching her brother's.  
  
"It didn't break," Harry replied calmly, a faint smile on his lips.  
  
"But we saw it." Hermione began.  
  
"It looked like it shattered, but it didn't," Harry said.  
  
"Well then where." Hermione started again, but stopped as Harry held up his hand.  
  
"Give me one moment," he said seriously, his eyes alight with interest, following the golden mist that was now swirling, lazily, around him.  
  
'What now?' He thought.  
  
'Call the others,' his voice replied to him.  
  
'How?'  
  
'The same way you are now speaking to me, but direct your thoughts to them.'  
  
Harry's gaze fell upon the thirteen remaining crystals. He wasn't sure exactly what he was doing, but was so drawn to completing the task he'd already begun, that he didn't think he'd be able to stop if he wanted to.  
  
Focusing all of his energy, he brought his hand down to the next crystal in line, brushing his fingers across it gently.  
  
'Come,' he thought almost casually.  
  
He felt the warmth emanating from the stone at his touch, and did not even need to lift it, as it levitated itself out of the chest and seemed to burst apart, much as the courage crystal had done. Instantly a pale green mist spiraled up and around him, merging with the gold one, and Harry recognized it as the essence of the psychological crystal.  
  
"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione asked, loudly, but Harry didn't even acknowledge her question, he was reaching down for the next crystal in line, when he heard a voice speak to him, and he knew it was from the psychological essence.  
  
'Are you sure this is a good idea?'  
  
The warning in the voice was very clear, but Harry didn't want to stop. He hesitated for just a second, before lowering his hand to the surface of the next stone, brushing against it gently. Again, he watched the shattering, and saw the essence float up and around him, this time it was copper, and he shuddered slightly as he remembered this stone.  
  
Resolve.  
  
This was the stone that had made him feel ruthless, and he wasn't fond of being near it again now.  
  
'This is taking too long; he heard the new voice say at once. You can do this much faster.'  
  
'No don't,' came the reply from the psychological essence.  
  
Harry felt entirely uncertain. He was dimly aware that his friends were speaking to him, but wasn't listening. He was torn between wanting to continue, but not wanting to take any advice from the resolve crystal, or ignore the psychological one.  
  
'You should do it now, best to be done all at once; the courage crystal spoke up again.'  
  
'But faster,' resolve added.  
  
Harry's eyes flickered between the two, before settling on the pale green haze.  
  
'Why do you think I shouldn't do this?' He asked.  
  
'Because you are not ready.'  
  
'How else will he learn?' courage asked.  
  
'He must move slowly.'  
  
'No! It must be done now, there isn't much time!' resolve nearly shouted, causing Harry to jump. The three voices kept up their argument for a moment longer, but Harry's mind was already made up. Ignoring the spat, he put his hand down towards the next stone, and he became aware of a hushed silence, which fell over the essences.  
  
'All of them,' resolve said firmly. 'Now.'  
  
Harry let his hand hover above the next stone in line, before steeling his resolve. He ran his fingers along all eleven remaining stones.  
  
'Come.'  
  
Immediately each crystal rose up and burst, letting the essence into the air. The colors mingled in front of him, swirling around him, giving the appearance of a prism. Harry sat, staring in fascination at them, smirking faintly, but his expression faltered, as the voices began to fill his head speaking fast.and loud.  
  
'Stop!'  
  
Harry shut his eyes tightly, wishing the voices would end. He could barely hear his own thoughts, let alone try to figure out what each individual stone was saying.he wasn't even entirely sure if they were talking to him or not. His head began to throb from the noise and he brought his hands up to it, trying to massage away the pain, but it did no good.  
  
'What are you saying? Please slow down! I can't understand.'  
  
Harry pleaded with essences, but either they couldn't hear him, or they were ignoring him. He wished very much that he hadn't listened to the resolve crystal, and was wondering why he'd been so quick to follow its request, as he really hadn't intended to.  
  
A hand fell on his arm and Harry opened his eyes slightly to see Ron kneeling next to him. He felt his heart skip a beat, however, when he glanced at the others and realized all three of his friends were trying to talk to him.but he couldn't hear their voices. Ron was looking directly at him, talking to him, probably asking him what was happening, but Harry couldn't make anything out beyond the sounds of the crystals.  
  
He began to signal to his friends, frantically, to make them understand that he couldn't hear anything, all the while trying desperately to get the stones to be quiet. They weren't listening to him, and he had no idea why. He shut his eyes against the pounding once more, praying for it to end. The voices grew steadily louder, speaking faster. He covered his ears almost instinctively, but couldn't block out noise that was already inside of him. The swirls of color in the air were moving about randomly, no pattern or scheme to it at all. Harry reached out a hand, trying to grasp hold of it, but it slid over his fingers like water, the stones could not be physically touched in this form.  
  
Glancing up once more, his vision now blurring in and out, he saw Ron, Hermione and Ginny had been talking, urgently, by the expressions on their faces, and Hermione was just now standing up. She nodded once at the others and started for the door, but just as she was about to grasp the handle, it turned itself. She took a step back to avoid being hit as the door swung swiftly open, and Harry was both shocked and relieved to see Neville enter the room, followed by Cole.and Malfoy.  
  
Cole rushed to Harry's side, glancing briefly into the trunk before looking into his eyes. Neville and Malfoy were on either side of him, and the others were a few feet behind them. Harry again had to motion that he couldn't hear, as Cole began speaking to him rapidly. He strained with all he had, but couldn't make out anything past the jumbled voices of the crystals. The pain in his head was growing so intense he wanted to scream, but held it in.  
  
Harry watched as Cole realized what he was trying to say, and turned to Malfoy. It was only then that Harry noticed the expression on the Slytherin's face. Draco was hurting as much as Harry was, and then some, tears were streaked down his face from the pain, and he was nodding faintly at Cole while the older man spoke, an agonized grimace stretched across his features.  
  
After a few more moments, Draco finally turned to face Harry, looking sick and pale. He opened his mouth to speak and Harry began to shake his head, why didn't they understand he couldn't hear? But he stopped immediately, as Draco's voice cut through the others.  
  
"Do you know if one of the crystals shares your voice?" he asked in a strained tone.  
  
Harry looked at him in shock. Never in his life would he have believed anyone that told him he'd ever be relieved to hear Malfoy's voice, but here he was. He nodded once, glad he had picked up the courage crystal first. If it had been one of the later ones to come, he never would have been able to distinguish it from the others.  
  
"You have to call out to that one," Draco continued evenly.  
  
Harry nodded again and began to do just that, searching for the essence of the courage crystal, trying to single it out. It wasn't working, he couldn't even hear his own thoughts anymore, and had no idea if he could get through to the stones. His eyes were burning now and his vision was coming in and out. All he wanted was to let go, fall asleep and let it pass. His head rolled on his neck as the urge to give in became almost overwhelming, but he jerked up again as he felt himself being roughly shaken back to consciousness, to see Malfoy holding his arms.  
  
"Harry," he said, his voice filled with pain, "You need to listen to me, do not fall asleep."  
  
Harry nodded weakly; feeling exhausted, but forced himself to stay awake. He lifted his eyes to meet Draco's, waiting to hear what he had to do.  
  
The screaming in Harry's head continued, pounding as if trying to break out through his skull, but he wasn't going to give in. Malfoy was looking at Cole, who was speaking urgently to him, before turning again to Harry. He could see his pain reflected in Draco's eyes, and actually, felt a bit sorry for him, knowing what he was feeling was worse.  
  
"Okay," he began, his voice wavering from how badly his head hurt, "You have to find that crystal; you have to make it answer you."  
  
Harry held up his hands looking at Malfoy in exasperation.  
  
"They aren't." he began, trying to keep his voice steady; glad he could hear himself speaking at least.  
  
"Listening, I know," Malfoy finished for him. "You have to try harder."  
  
Harry closed his eyes, wishing he had never opened the chest in the first place. He started to concentrate, listening to the voices. It sounded as if he were in the great hall during the Halloween feast, when everyone is always overexcited and loud.only magnified. He called out to the courage crystal repeatedly in his mind, praying for any response, whatever it might be. Panic was threatening to set in, he didn't know if the crystal was ignoring him, or if it had been answering him the entire time and he had been unable to hear it.  
  
Harry sat straight up as a searing pain shot through his head, biting his lip hard to stop from crying out. Malfoy, however, hadn't been able to hold it in, Harry heard his scream, echoing in his mind, and was truly ready to give up, when suddenly, he heard his name.it was being called out from what sounded like a great distance, but it was his own voice talking to him.  
  
He felt relief swelling inside of him as he began to signal to Malfoy, opening his eyes, slightly.  
  
'Don't go anywhere,' he called to the crystal, 'I need your help.'  
  
"You found it?" Malfoy asked, urgently. Harry nodded once and Draco spoke quickly. "Tell it to withdraw, now!"  
  
Harry didn't hesitate. He concentrated on the sound of his own voice, still barely above a whisper, calling out to him.  
  
'If you can hear me, I need you to withdraw, now! Please, can you hear me? I need you to withdraw!'  
  
He kept repeating this again and again in his head, hoping it was working, not knowing what to expect, when at last the mist around him began to separate. The part of it that was gold started to draw into itself, forming a tight ball of light, before it flashed brightly. Harry had to shut his eyes from the glare, but it lasted less than a second, when he opened them again, the crystal had reformed. It hovered in front of him for a moment, before lowering itself back into the trunk, and remaining still.  
  
Harry turned again to Malfoy, about to ask him what next, when the voices in his head began to diminish. The shimmering haze of essences began to pull apart completely, and one at a time, each crystal reformed itself. It all happened so quickly, Harry could barely believe it when he sat staring at all fourteen crystals in the chest. They were making no noise now, not even the whispering as they'd done earlier.  
  
Breathing an inaudible sigh of relief, still feeling the dull ache in his head from what had just happened, Harry raised his head to gaze around the room.  
  
Ron, Hermione and Ginny stood motionless near the other end of the dorm, their expressions full of concern. Neville was near them, looking uncertain and Malfoy appeared just as drawn and exhausted as Harry felt.  
  
He turned at last to Cole, to hopefully get some answers for what had happened, but his voice wouldn't come out when he saw the man's face.  
  
Cole was furious.  
  
Harry swallowed hard as he looked at Cole apprehensively. He could see the anger in his features clearly, and could almost picture smoke coming out of his ears.  
  
"What exactly did you think you were doing?" Cole asked in a deadly calm voice.  
  
Harry cleared his throat quietly, before speaking, his eyes fixed on the floor.  
  
"I was showing the crystals to my friends," he began, "and they were whispering.so I."  
  
"You what?" Cole spat, his eyes flashing.  
  
"I picked one up.that's all," Harry explained quickly. "I only wanted to try and understand them.I never knew this would happen."  
  
"Exactly," Cole hissed. "You did not know, so you should not have done anything. Are you always this stupid?" he asked, angrily. Harry looked up sharply.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, feeling humiliated and confused. He didn't dare look towards his friends, and wished they weren't there to see this right now, he could feel himself turning red as his face grew hot.  
  
"You don't have to yell at him," Ron spoke up, defensively.  
  
"I'll thank you to keep out of this," Cole spoke harshly, looking over his shoulder at Ron. "It's none of your business."  
  
"But it was just a mistake!" Hermione said, stepping forward. "You can't blame him for."  
  
"I said," Cole said in a strained tone, his eyes glaring daggers at Harry's friends "to keep out of this."  
  
They looked back at Cole indignantly; apparently very ready to continue the argument, but he merely turned his attention back to Harry.  
  
"Next time you get the urge to try and use the crystals," Cole began, his tone still dark, "don't. Honestly, I wonder how you've survived this long, what you did was incredibly foolish and could have seriously hindered any chances you have of learning about your powers quickly."  
  
"I said I was sorry," Harry spoke, feeling his own anger begin to grow. "If I'd known what was going to happen."  
  
"You should have come to either Allison or myself!" Cole cut him off loudly. "If you're unsure of anything concerning those stones you come to us, and that's it! You don't try to figure it out on your own.obviously you aren't very good at it."  
  
"Look," Harry said, heatedly. "I admit I was wrong, I shouldn't have done it the way I did."  
  
"That's right, you should not have," Cole said flatly, standing up abruptly. He turned where he stood and started for the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Harry asked, looking after him.  
  
"Don't touch the crystals anymore Harry," Cole spoke harshly. "I will come for you when it's time to do so."  
  
Without another word, Cole yanked the door open hard, and stalked out into the hall, letting it slam behind him.  
  
For a few moments, no one spoke; everyone seemed a bit taken back by Cole's reaction. Harry brought his knees towards him, and slowly stood up. He stepped forward, reaching out and closing the lid of the trunk softly, before turning to face the others.  
  
Draco was still kneeling on the floor, looking stunned.  
  
"Are you alright?" Harry asked him, Malfoy looked up.  
  
"This is insane," he said quietly. "I can't do it.I can't." he trailed off, shaking his head.  
  
"You don't have a choice," Neville spoke up, coming up beside Draco. He looked from Malfoy to Harry and back.  
  
"I know," Draco hissed. "If I don't want to feel pain every time Potter does, I have to do this." he trailed off, looking up at Harry. "What did you do anyway?"  
  
"I honestly don't know," Harry replied with a shrug. "I was hoping Cole would answer some questions.but I didn't exactly want to ask him, seeing how he reacted."  
  
"He never should have treated you like that," Hermione spoke up, walking forward, the others following her.  
  
"You should tell Dumbledore, Harry," Ron said. "Or Sirius."  
  
"Well, I'd like to know what exactly I did first," Harry replied. "If it was truly so dangerous.then I can understand his anger."  
  
"But that's the point!" Hermione said, throwing up her arms. "You didn't know! And if they knew what just happened was a possibility, they should have warned you!"  
  
Harry nodded, but still wanted to know what had been happening before he said anything about Cole. He turned his attention back to Draco before speaking.  
  
"Did Cole tell you anything? Were you with him when you first felt the pain?"  
  
Malfoy nodded, standing up at last.  
  
"Yes, we were training."  
  
"And there's another thing," Hermione spoke up again, interrupting Draco. "Why is he concentrating more on training Malfoy then you, Harry? He wasn't even there for your first session!"  
  
"Well, he was, actually," Harry replied. "Or at least he said he was, but I didn't see him." he trailed off.  
  
"That really doesn't make sense," Ron said. "If he's so anxious to have you learn about the crystals quickly why isn't he bothering to spend as much time training you as he does with Malfoy?"  
  
"Allison said they needed time to prepare," Harry replied, "something about the crystals needing a reason to train me."  
  
"What reason?" Hermione asked.  
  
"She didn't say more than that," Harry answered with a shrug.  
  
"Still doesn't explain why Cole would train Malfoy personally," Ron commented, "and not even show up at yours.or let you know he was there."  
  
"Can you stop talking about me like I'm not standing right here?" Draco asked, irritably, glaring at Ron.  
  
"Well you shouldn't be!" Ron quipped. "Why are you here, anyway? Shouldn't you be going now? Or is your training done for today."  
  
"Fine," Malfoy replied, "I'm leaving." He stepped back and turned, heading for the door.  
  
"Draco, wait," Harry said, moving past his friends and following him. Malfoy looked over his shoulder, looking annoyed. "Tell me what you do know at least, please? What happened today.?"  
  
Draco eyed Harry suspiciously, before glancing over at the others. Sighing exasperatedly, he turned his gaze back to Harry.  
  
"Fine but I'm not staying here any more," he said evenly.  
  
"Alright, I'll go with you then. C'mon," Harry replied, reaching past Malfoy and opening the door.  
  
"Harry," Neville began.  
  
"I'll be right back," Harry cut him off, seeing the look on all of his friends' faces. He would have asked them to come, but he didn't trust them, Ron especially, not to get into some sort of argument with Draco. Right now all he wanted was to hear what had happened and be done with Malfoy for the time being.  
  
The two of them left the room together, and headed downstairs. Upon entering the common room, a hush fell over the Gryffindors milling about, all eyes focusing on Draco.  
  
"Keep going," Harry whispered, nudging Malfoy who had come to a halt upon seeing all the angry, suspicious faces. "We're just leaving, don't worry," he called out to his fellow Gryffindors, not sure what else to tell them, but feeling the need to say something. They moved towards the portrait whole, feeling all eyes on them, until they were out in the hall, the door firmly shut behind them.  
  
"Well that was certainly not fun," Draco stated as they began walking. "Don't ever get hurt in your tower again, alright? I don't think your friends would let me through."  
  
"I hadn't exactly planned on it," Harry replied.  
  
"If what you were feeling was even half as bad as what I was," Draco began, "then I believe you. No one would intentionally do that to themselves"  
  
"Well of course not!" Harry said. "Did you think I ever wanted to get myself hurt?"  
  
"It hurts me too, doesn't it?" Malfoy asked.  
  
Harry stared at him for a moment, confused, before realizing what Draco was saying.  
  
"You think I've been letting myself get hurt so you'd feel the pain?" he asked, too stunned at the very idea to be insulted.  
  
"Why not?" Draco retorted.  
  
"Why not?" Harry repeated incredulously. "How about why so? That's ridiculous!" he said, throwing his arms up into the air.  
  
"Look I said I believed you, didn't I?" Malfoy asked, annoyed. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in disgust.  
  
"Alright, yes, you did," Harry said quickly. "Let's just forget about it. Now what happened earlier? What did Cole tell you?"  
  
"Like I said," Malfoy began, "we were training. We'd only been going at it for about an hour, when I my head started to hurt. At first, I ignored it but it only got worse, very quickly. Cole saw what was happening, and figured it must be related to you somehow, so we went to find Neville. Luckily you were only upstairs when we got to your tower, because I couldn't have made it much further."  
  
"You could hear everything though?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes," Malfoy nodded. "My head hurt something awful, but I could hear everything that was said."  
  
"Did you hear any voices? Other than those of Cole and my friends?"  
  
"No," Malfoy answered. "Just a lot of pain."  
  
"And what about Cole?" Harry continued. "Did he say anything about what was happening?"  
  
"He didn't say much," Malfoy replied. "When he realized you couldn't hear him he seemed to recognize exactly what was happening. He told your friends to back up and asked me to talk to you, to tell you exactly what he was telling me."  
  
"So then, what I heard from you.that was it? That's all he said?" Harry asked.  
  
Malfoy snickered.  
  
"Well that.and a few choice words for you. You really hit a nerve with him."  
  
"I could tell," Harry said with a sigh. "I just wish he would've taken a minute to explain what happened.no matter how angry he might've been."  
  
Malfoy shrugged.  
  
"I don't know what to tell you.but I'd wait a long while before speaking with him again."  
  
"Yeah, I hadn't planned on looking for him just yet," Harry replied, remembering Cole's reaction. "It's just that it doesn't help me any to not know what I did wrong. I'm definitely not opening the chest again without Cole or Allison, but I'd still like to know."  
  
"Like I said," Malfoy began, "can't help you Potter. And unless you want to see the reaction when you walk into my dorm, I'd suggest you start heading back now, because we're almost there."  
  
Harry looked up, shocked to see they were already deep into the corridors that led to the dungeons.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Harry said. "Thanks for telling me what happened.what you knew of it, anyway."  
  
Malfoy didn't reply. He looked at Harry for a moment, before nodding upwards once and turning away. Harry looked after him for just a second, before heading back the way he'd come.  
  
Walking slowly, he tried to sort out the thoughts in his head. He wanted to know what would have happened if he hadn't been able to get the crystals to withdraw, and why no one had warned him of this possibility. Draco had been hurt worse than he had, and Cole was definitely not angry with him, but hadn't told him anything either. Or at least anything that would help.  
  
Turning the first corner, he began to pick up the pace. He didn't know why but suddenly felt very uncomfortable being down here alone. Moving quickly, he kept looking around, hoping to see a teacher or student, but there was no one.  
  
Stop it, he told himself. If someone was nearby it probably wasn't anyone he needed to worry about. The Inquisitors would be able to sense an intruder, and still being early in the day, it wouldn't take long to send someone after them.  
  
However, his uneasy feeling wouldn't go away, and all he could do was keep moving. The hallway dragged on for what felt like miles, and Harry just kept his eyes ahead of him. More than halfway there, he told himself, just keep going, two more hallways, then you're out of here.  
  
He was moving so fast now it was just short of trotting, and the next corner came up quickly. But the feeling that someone was watching him was far too great now, and he forced himself to stop for just a second. He leaned up against the wall, and listened. Someone was following him, and they weren't far behind.  
  
Harry decided against waiting to see who was behind him. If it was anyone who needed to talk to him, which he thought to be a highly unlikely possibility, they could do so out of the dungeon area. Turning away, he again began moving up the hallway, quickly. He'd gotten halfway down the corridor, when a familiar voice rang out.  
  
"Lentus Pedis!"  
  
Before he could turn around, Harry's feet became stuck to the hard stone floor of the corridor. He tried to wrench himself loose as the footsteps behind him grew closer, he even tried to pull his feet out of his shoes, but his effort was in vain. There may as well have been heavy stones weighing his feet to the floor. He couldn't budge.  
  
Glancing over his shoulder and catching only a glimpse of a dark cloak, Harry shoved his hand into his robes, searching for his wand, but the person came up behind him, and took hold of his wrist, pulling his hand back out. Harry winced in pain as his arm was twisted up behind his back, and someone leaned their face very close to his ear.  
  
"What were you talking about with my son?" Lucius Malfoy whispered, fiercely.  
  
"None of your business," Harry spat, his eyes fixed on the floor in front of him. He glanced down when he felt a hand in his robes, however, and saw that Lucius had taken his wand out. The death eater released Harry's arm and stepped around in front of him, his eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"You're quite wrong, Potter. My son is my business, and you are going to tell me what you spoke to him about.now."  
  
"No I'm not going to tell you anything," Harry answered evenly. "And you may as well just let me go.you can't hide here so easily anymore."  
  
"Can't I?" Lucius retorted, sneering. "Well no one's found me yet, now have they?"  
  
Harry didn't respond, but he was beginning to wonder why the Inquisitors hadn't sensed Lucius, or if they had then what was taking so long.  
  
"As usual, Potter, you always want to do things the hard way." Lucius spoke casually, raising his wand.  
  
"If you want to know what I told Draco so badly, why didn't you just ask him?" Harry asked quickly, his eyes fixed on the wand aimed at him. Why was Lucius spending time talking to him? Harry expected he would have just tried to take him, rather then stop him in the middle of a hallway where anyone might see them.  
  
"I intend to," Lucius said crisply. "As soon as I finish speaking with you."  
  
"I'm not telling you anything," Harry said flatly. "You're wasting your time."  
  
Lucius smiled wickedly.  
  
"We'll see," he spoke softly. Tightening the grip on his wand, he spoke again.  
  
"Ustulo Manus!"  
  
Harry's eyes were fixed on Lucius' wand. As the curse was spoken, a tirade of bright red sparks exploded from the tip of it, crackling like electricity in the air. They sped towards him, slamming into his chest; even if he'd been able to move there wouldn't have been enough time, the curse moved too swiftly. Harry's knees buckled momentarily as the force of the spell pushed him back, but he regained his balance quickly, his chest burning from the impact.  
  
Looking up again at Lucius, Harry opened his mouth to speak, but another voice cut him off.  
  
"Dad, stop!" Draco called from down the hall. He was moving rapidly up the corridor towards them, stopping just beside Harry. He looked from one to the other, before setting his gaze on his father. "You have to undo it! Please!"  
  
"Draco," Lucius smiled, ignoring his son's request. "You've arrived just in time. Potter here was just about to tell me what he spoke to you about."  
  
"But that curse will hurt him! You have to take it off."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Lucius asked, his expression growing dark. "Why would I want to.?"  
  
"Please." Draco cut him off. "Please just listen to me."  
  
Harry followed the tense conversation anxiously, all the while feeling a tingling sensation running down his arms, towards his hands. He knew it wouldn't be long until the curse reached its destination, and then Lucius would know for sure, if he didn't already, exactly who the defender was.  
  
Lucius eyed Harry suspiciously for a moment, before returning his gaze to his son.  
  
"What lies has he been feeding you?" he asked, nodding towards Harry as he spoke.  
  
"No lies, sir," Draco responded, paling slightly. "I need you to do this for me though," he spoke quickly, pulling his wand out of his pocket, "or I'll do it myself."  
  
Lucius' eyes widened in shock for a second, before turning angry. He glared at his son furiously, his own wand still gripped tightly in his hand.  
  
"You dare speak to me that way?" he asked in a deadly calm voice. "Your own father?"  
  
Malfoy didn't reply, and Harry could see how white his face had become, but he still stood his ground, standing up to his father.  
  
"What did he tell you?" Lucius asked, his eyes flashing dangerously at his son.  
  
Draco held his father's gaze momentarily, before turning to glance at Harry. He almost seemed to be pleading with him for a moment, a look of helplessness on his face, before turning his gaze again, meeting his father's eyes.  
  
"If you hurt Harry, I'm going to feel it too," he said evenly, his voice quiet.  
  
"What do you mean?" Lucius demanded, glaring at Harry. "Did he put some kind of curse on you? What was it? If he did so help me I'll."  
  
"No, he didn't," Draco cut him off. "He didn't curse me."  
  
"Then what could possibly cause you to." he trailed off suddenly, realization dawning in his eyes.  
  
Draco nodded faintly, continuing just above a whisper.  
  
"I'm." he began, glancing once again at Harry, having no other choice. "I'm the defender."  
  
For a brief moment, no one spoke. Lucius' jaw dropped open in stunned silence, and he stared at his son in disbelief.  
  
"That." he began, his voice very faint, "that can't be."  
  
"It is," Draco replied quickly. "It's the truth, I."  
  
"No!" Lucius screamed, suddenly enraged, causing Draco to step back. "No you are not the defender! Whoever told you that was lying!"  
  
"It's not a lie," Harry spoke up finally, looking defiantly at Lucius. "He is the defender and if."  
  
"You be quiet, Potter!" Lucius spat, vehemently, his anger radiating off of him like heat. "I'm sure you find it very amusing, tricking my son like this, but I assure you."  
  
"I'm not lying!" Harry yelled loudly, cutting him off. "And if you don't." he began, but stopped abruptly. The tingling in his arms had reached his hands, and they had been growing steadily warmer, when suddenly it had become overwhelmingly painful. He gritted his teeth as his fingers began to burn, white hot agony searing through them, barely hearing Draco cry out in pain next to him.  
  
There was no relief to be found, he balled his hands into fists, then stretched his fingers out as far as he could, rubbed his hands together, and against the material of his robes. He tried squeezing them together and keeping them apart, but nothing worked, all the while trying fiercely to move his feet, needing to make the pain end. He glanced up slowly at Lucius; his vision blurring, to see him staring in horror at his son, whose reaction was quite similar to Harry's. He could see Draco had dropped his wand and it had rolled a few feet away, but it was still out of Harry's reach.  
  
After what felt like an eternity, Lucius raised his wand again, but pointed it at Draco  
  
"Strigo Ustulo." he spoke faintly and a stream of blue sparks flew from the tip of his wand. They flittered gently through the air, falling gently towards Draco's hands and arms, but upon coming into contact, promptly fizzled out, having no effect.  
  
"What did you do to my son?" Lucius roared, turning fiercely on Harry. He grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him roughly, but Harry could barely find his voice to answer, too consumed by the pain in his hands, it was unbearable.  
  
"Answer me!" Lucius shouted, louder this time, but Harry couldn't. He could barely manage to think let alone speak. His knees buckled underneath him and the only thing keeping him upright was Lucius' grip on his arms.  
  
They stood this way only seconds, before Lucius let out a cry of rage. He released Harry, who immediately slumped to the floor, clutching his hands to his chest. Raising his wand again, he spoke the same words he had a moment earlier, and the blue sparks again flew from its tip, but this time, floating towards Harry.  
  
The counter-curse flittered through the air, falling softly onto Harry's hands and the relief was instantaneous. The burning immediately dissipated and the pain eased. Harry blinked a few times as his vision cleared, and awkwardly pushed himself back up. His feet were still fixed to the floor and he struggled back into an upright position. Looking around quickly, he saw Lucius standing over his son, appearing disgusted.  
  
Draco had been sitting against the wall and was now using it to help himself back up. He stood shakily and turned cautiously to meet his father's gaze. Lucius did not move or speak, merely glared at his son, contemptuously. When Draco lowered his eyes, Lucius' temper took hold; he lashed out at his son, striking him hard across his face. Draco's head whipped around harshly, and his hands slapped against the wall as the momentum from the blow caused him to overbalance. He turned quickly, blood trickling slowly down his face from his nose and glared at his father.  
  
"How did you let this happen?" Lucius hissed at his son, looking murderous.  
  
"Let this happen?" Draco repeated angrily. "You think I wanted this? I didn't let anything happen."  
  
"Well then how?" Lucius shouted. "Who did this to you? You cannot be the defender."  
  
"Nobody did anything to him." Harry spoke up, hoping to distract Lucius. He could do nothing to get his wand at the moment but if Draco could reach his own. "He was born the defender."  
  
"You," Lucius spat, whirling on Harry. "I bet you did this to him, didn't you? You chose him to defend you as some twisted form of payback."  
  
"I didn't get to choose the defender," Harry said, calmly, holding Lucius' gaze as Draco watched, motionlessly behind him.  
  
"My master will straighten this out," Lucius said in a vicious whisper. "You will."  
  
"He'll kill Draco," Harry said flatly. "Voldemort will kill your son."  
  
"No." Lucius began; worry edging its way into his voice. "No.he'll see.he'll fix it."  
  
"Fix what?" Harry asked harshly, glad to see Draco was finally moving towards his wand. "You can't change who the defender is.you can't pass it on.you're born that way.and you die that way. You saw what happened a few minutes ago.if I'm in pain, Draco's in pain. You can't just."  
  
"Enough!" Lucius shouted suddenly, his eyes flashing. He stepped up close to Harry, their faces only inches apart. "I don't trust you to tell me the truth.you're still upset over your girlfriend being killed and this is your way to take revenge.well it's not going to work. I don't know what curse you used to make my son feel your pain.or to make him believe your lies, but I'm going to end it. My lord will see to it that this is straightened out.and then we will find your true defender."  
  
Lucius moved back, raising his wand again and Harry watched, helplessly.  
  
"I'm going to have to take you to Voldemort," Lucius spoke almost mechanically, "both of you.it's the only way to straighten this out."  
  
"But." Harry began.  
  
"No," Lucius cut him off, crisply. "I don't want to hear another word from your lying mouth." He paused a moment, glaring hatefully at Harry, before opening his mouth to speak.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Draco's voice rang out, before his father could utter a word. Lucius' wand was ripped from his grasp and flew to his son's waiting hand. Harry breathed an inaudible sigh of relief, despite Draco's worried expression, but it was short lived. Lucius whirled to face his son, fury etched on his features.  
  
"Just go dad," Draco said weakly, holding tight to his own wand while putting his father's in his pocket. "Please."  
  
But Lucius merely smiled darkly, staring daggers at his son.  
  
"You are going to regret your disobedience," he spoke icily. He reached slowly into his pocket and Harry felt his stomach flip as he saw his own wand in the death eater's hand.  
  
Lucius raised Harry's wand slowly, training it on Draco.  
  
"I'll give you once chance," he began in a deadly calm voice, "to give both wands over to me now. If you do this, your punishment will not be too.painful." he spoke quietly, a faint smirk on the corner of his lips.  
  
Harry watched as Draco seemed to shudder involuntarily, but held his ground against his father, keeping his wand aimed.  
  
"I'm sorry," he began, obviously struggling to keep his voice steady, "but I can't do that. Please just leave, if someone finds you."  
  
"No one is going to find me," Lucius spoke evenly, his eyes narrowing. Harry was sure he caught the slightest glimpse of sadness in them, but it was gone in the next instant, and his expression was once again stony. "You disappoint me," he continued, gravely.  
  
Lucius began to tap on Harry's wand with his forefinger, almost absently, before tightening his grip on its base and speaking.  
  
"Hemocrit hyponis!" he yelled and a burst of blue light emitted from the tip of the wand. Harry recognized the spell immediately as one Draco has used against him during their duel at the end of last year. It was the blood-freezing curse, and Harry remembered the pain it caused all too well.  
  
Draco's eyes widened in shock as he heard his father speak, but he didn't try to dodge. Instead, he held his wand up in front of him, seeming to concentrate intensely. The curse sped towards him, illuminating the dark hall, bathing it in blue light, and just as it neared him, he shut his eyes tightly. It slammed into his wand full force, but did not pass. The wand absorbed the blow, sucking the luminescence into it and terminating the curse.  
  
Draco's eyes sprang open instantly, and his breathing had become quick and shallow. Harry knew this must be some of what he was learning during his sessions with Cole, but obviously, he hadn't yet mastered it.  
  
"How did you.?" Lucius began, a stunned expression on his face. He stopped mid question however, a dark look in his eyes. Tightening the grip on Harry's wand once more, he spoke again.  
  
"Languidus brachium!"  
  
This time a dark green bolt shot out of the wand, speeding towards Draco, and once again, he blocked it successfully.  
  
Harry was trying fervently to move his feet, but they refused to budge in the slightest from the cold, damp, dungeon floor. Draco was holding up, but tiny beads of sweat were now quite visible along his hairline, small trickles of it were running down his face. Harry could see how much energy the defensive magic was taking out of him. He wasn't going to last much longer, and Lucius could see it too.  
  
"You're only making this worse for yourself," the death eater spoke tauntingly, glaring at his son. "I'm beginning to lose my patience."  
  
"Then leave!" Draco cried suddenly, with a fresh burst of anger. "Just get out of here! But I can't let you take us to Voldemort. He'll kill us both."  
  
Lucius glared menacingly at his son, but instead of trying another curse, he lowered the wand. Draco looked at him questioningly, knowing his father too well to think this meant he was giving up, when Lucius began to move towards him.  
  
Harry watched as the color drained from Draco's face, helpless to do anything but stare.  
  
"Stop," Draco said, his eyes pleading with his father. "Please.don't come any closer."  
  
"I'm afraid," Lucius began, ignoring his son's request, taking slow measured steps across the hall, "that this school has now had far too much of a bad influence on you. You're using strange magic.which is obviously quite powerful as it stopped both of my curses. The question is, however, can you use it on me? Because I'm taking my wand back.now."  
  
Harry didn't think it was possible, but Draco seemed to grow paler still. Lucius moved closer at a steady pace, and Harry was sure he was going to be able to take his wand back without a problem; Draco was looking panicked, his eyes were frozen, staring at his father in fear. Lucius stopped moving less than two feet from his son, sneering down at him triumphantly.  
  
"If you truly are the defender," he began tauntingly, "then you are doing your job quite poorly. You're nothing but a weak, frightened little boy."  
  
"I am not," Draco said, his voice strained. "I just.I.please dad, I don't want to hurt you." he trailed off. Harry could see him shaking slightly, but his wand was unflinching, trained directly on his father.  
  
"Hurt me?" Lucius asked, beginning to laugh. "You couldn't, you have no backbone and will never fail to act like the coward you are.it is your nature."  
  
"Like father, like son," Harry spoke up from behind him. He had no other choice, Draco was making no move to stop his father, he had to distract him.  
  
Lucius, predictably, spun to face Harry, eyes flashing.  
  
"Say that again." he spoke in a dark, quiet voice.  
  
"You heard me," Harry replied, glaring straight back at the death eater, willing him to move away from Draco. Lucius merely smirked at him smugly.  
  
"I'll deal with you in a moment," he muttered, turning to face his son again, realizing what Harry's intention had been.  
  
Harry could only watch in frustration, wondering how much longer until the curse on his feet wore off.  
  
But the look in Draco's eyes was different now. The small distraction Harry had provided seemed to give him a moment to draw his courage, and he was now glaring at his father, a determined look in his eyes.  
  
Lucius noticed the change in his son's demeanor immediately, and decided not to waste another minute. He lunged forward, reaching for the wand, but Draco was faster.  
  
"Stupefy!" he cried angrily and the curse hit Lucius full force. His body went limp and he fell onto his son, as the momentum of his attack carried him forward. Draco caught his father awkwardly, before stepping backwards, letting him slowly crumple to the floor in a heap, out cold. He stood over Lucius' still form, looking down, a stunned expression etched on his face. Shaking his head almost sadly, he stepped gingerly around his father and over to where Harry stood, looking very relieved. Raising his wand almost mechanically, he spoke the counter-curse softly.  
  
"Absolvo Pedis."  
  
Harry felt as if a large weight was lifted from his feet and he cautiously stepped forward. He looked up at Draco, wanting to thank him, but he'd already turned away, and was heading back to his father.  
  
Clearing his throat softly, Harry followed him, unsure of what to say. He came up beside Draco and waited.  
  
"He's going to kill me when he wakes up." Draco spoke softly, looking fearful once again.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again quickly. He honestly couldn't argue that statement, as he wouldn't put it past Lucius to do exactly that. Instead, he glanced up and down the hallway, for some sign that anyone else might be nearby.  
  
"Why do you think no one came?" Harry asked, straining to see down to the end of the corridor.  
  
"I don't know," Draco answered with a shrug. "Maybe you're out of Neville's range."  
  
"I didn't know there was a range," Harry said, looking at Draco questioningly.  
  
"I'm just guessing," Draco replied quickly. "He probably doesn't have one." He sighed loudly then and bent down beside his father. Reaching over his back, he plucked up Harry's wand from Lucius' slack grip and stood up.  
  
"Here," he muttered, handing the wand to Harry.  
  
"Thanks," Harry replied, quite relieved to have his wand back. He knew Lucius would be out for a long while.but still.better not to take any chances. Glancing up the hallway once more, seeing no one coming, he took a step forward.  
  
"I guess we should find." he began but stopped abruptly as he looked over his shoulder. Draco was raising his wand again, aiming at his father.  
  
"What are you doing?" Harry asked nervously, turning back to him quickly.  
  
"Well I can't leave him here," Draco replied in a tone that implied it should be obvious. "Someone might find him."  
  
"So you're going to move him somewhere?" Harry asked.  
  
"I'm going to wake him up," Draco answered.  
  
"No!" Harry yelled, a bit harshly. Draco looked at him angrily and Harry continued quickly. "You can't wake him! He might try something.we have to get Dumbledore and."  
  
"I'm not handing my father over to Dumbledore. He only did what he did because he was surprised. Once he's used to the idea.of me being the defender.you'll see.he'll be fine." he trailed off uncertainly.  
  
"Draco once he's no longer doubting you're the defender he's going to kill you.that curse he tried.you know what it would have done. If he cared about you at all."  
  
"Don't assume you know how my father feels about me Potter!" Draco cut him off, a dark look in his eyes. "I wouldn't expect you to understand anything about it.seeing as you never knew yours to begin with."  
  
Harry was taken aback by his comment, feeling fresh anger swell within him, but didn't take the time to think about it. He had to make sure Lucius was not woken up.  
  
"Draco, listen to me," Harry began evenly, "If you do this he'll."  
  
"He doesn't have a wand," Draco interrupted curtly. "He can't do anything without one. If he tries something.we just knock him out again."  
  
"And then what?" Harry asked, throwing his arms out to his sides. "We keep waking him up and knocking him out until he just gives up and leaves? Somehow I don't see that working."  
  
Draco looked at Harry, the expression in his eyes going from anger to sadness.  
  
"I can't." he began, his expression hardening, "I won't.turn my father in. He'll disown me.he'll.he'll."  
  
"Draco, listen to me for a minute," Harry began, urgently. "If we wake him up and he is able to get one of our wands, he's going to take us to Voldemort. We'll both be killed."  
  
"But we can keep our distance, not let him near us," Draco argued, almost pleading.  
  
"Okay, so we are able to keep away from him and he escapes. If he goes to Voldemort and tells him what's happened, assuming Voldemort doesn't already know you're the defender.he'll now know who to go for. Sooner or later, no matter how strongly the school is protected they're going to get in."  
  
"And they'll head straight for us." Draco finished for him, sighing.  
  
"Don't you see?" Harry continued. "This is the only way to ensure he doesn't say anything.to keep our secret even if only for a little while longer."  
  
"What will they do to him?" Draco asked, his eyes fixed on Lucius' still form.  
  
"They won't hurt him," Harry replied sincerely, "the same, however, cannot be said for Voldemort."  
  
"But Voldemort wouldn't."  
  
"Remember when I went for the crystals.and you felt the effects of the Cruciatus curse that your father used?"  
  
"Yes," Draco replied with an involuntary shudder.  
  
"He did that because of what Voldemort did to him. When Neville helped me get away that night, Voldemort took it out on the death eaters.something that he does quite often. This time was apparently one of the worst. Now just think for a minute.if he was that angry at them for my escaping.think of what he'll do to your father upon learning that he let both of us get away.especially when he finds out you're the defender."  
  
Draco looked up slowly as Harry spoke, realization dawning in his eyes.  
  
"And just for the record," Harry continued, feeling the need to go on. "I do know what it feels like." he nodded towards Lucius, "why you want to give him the chance to escape. I feel the same way for Sirius.I helped him escape when Fudge was going to give him to the dementors."  
  
Draco met Harry's gaze evenly and Harry waited. He could see the struggle going on behind his eyes and felt sorry for him, but if it came down to it, he was not going to allow Lucius to be woken up, and would do whatever was necessary to stop Draco.  
  
"I still don't like this," Draco began quietly, looking ill. "But I think you're right.if he goes back to Voldemort.he'll be killed." He glanced down once more at his father, before waving his wand quickly. At once Lucius was floating lazily in the air beside them, his head rolling limply on his neck.  
  
"You better be right though Potter." he continued menacingly, "if they hurt him."  
  
"I promise you they won't," Harry said quickly. "Even if Sirius or Remus wanted to.Dumbledore wouldn't let them." he paused, making sure Draco was looking directly at him, "and neither would I."  
  
Draco looked at him skeptically for a moment, still seeming very uncertain, but nodded at last.  
  
"Let's get going then," he said, directing his father's body in front of him. Harry smiled with relief and fell in step beside Draco, the two of them moving swiftly through the corridors.  
  
Harry and Draco walked quickly through the halls, looking over their shoulders every few seconds. Harry was sure at one point that he heard someone behind them, but the corridor was too dark to see very far down it. He was quite relieved when they stepped into a brighter area, and passed the doors to the great hall. Several students were milling about, and stopped to stare as the two boys emerged from the hallway, most of them eyeing Lucius' floating form warily. Neither Harry nor Draco paid any attention, moving quickly past the students who stared after them, confused and alarmed.  
  
When they reached the stone gargoyle, Harry gave the password and proceeded to lead the way up the narrow staircase. When he reached the top, he tapped gently on the door, before pushing it open slightly. Dumbledore and Cole were seated on either side of the desk, talking in hushed tones. They both looked up questioningly as they heard Harry knocking.  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry said urgently before either of them could speak. "I don't mean to interrupt.but this is important."  
  
He stepped fully into the office as he spoke, allowing Draco room to maneuver Lucius through the doorway, before stopping beside Harry.  
  
Both men were out of their seats in an instant, crossing to the students.  
  
"Set him down here," Dumbledore said firmly, gesturing to a nearby chair. Draco did as he was told, taking care not to hurt Lucius in any way as he lowered him gently. He stepped away as Cole moved past him, examining Lucius, while Dumbledore turned to face them.  
  
"How did this happen?" he asked gravely, looking from Harry to Draco.  
  
The two students exchanged a glance, before Harry began to explain. He started from leaving Draco as they neared the Slytherin dorms, and realizing someone was following him. He spoke quickly, and neither Cole nor Dumbledore interrupted him. When he finally finished talking, he took a deep breath, waiting for Dumbledore to say something, but Draco spoke first.  
  
"You're not going to hurt him, right? I can't let you."  
  
"Your father will not be harmed, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said gently. "We will need to question him, however. Now that he knows you are the defender it may be too risky to let him go."  
  
"But you can't just." Draco began, ready to argue, but Dumbledore held up a hand.  
  
"I need to speak with Lucius before anything can be determined. Please do not worry yourself over this. I promise, whatever the decision, he will be treated hospitably."  
  
Draco nodded faintly, looking at his father, and Harry could see he was now doubting his decision to have brought him here. Deciding to try and change the subject, he glanced up at Cole.  
  
After what had happened that morning, he was in no rush to speak with the man anytime soon; however, there was one question that needed to be answered.  
  
Clearing his throat, he took a tentative step forward.  
  
"Cole?" he asked, cautiously.  
  
"Mmm?" he mumbled, looking up. "Yes Harry, what is it?" he asked.  
  
"I know this will probably sound like a silly question.but I need to ask you.shouldn't Neville have known what was happening? Why didn't he try to find us?" 


	21. Chapter 21

**OKAY so I know I've not updated in…well, years…I was able to find copies of these stories again and decided to post the rest if for no other reason than just so the full thing is up. I haven't gone thru it again for any spelling or grammar or anything like that, it's exactly the way I posted it on the forums on way back when, so here it is, and my apologies again for not having it all up originally.**

Cole leaned back slightly, meeting Harry's gaze.

"No one knew you were in trouble, correct?" he asked, one eyebrow arched quizzically.

"Well…no…" Harry stammered. "But I thought…"

"There's a reason for having both a defender and a guardian Harry," Cole interrupted briskly. The defender knows when the Psion is in pain and alerts the guardian, who then uses his power to find the Psion. As Draco was unable to tell Neville of your predicament, he wasn't aware of the need to find you." As he finished speaking, he again turned his attention to Lucius, lifting his hand and pressing his fingers into the soft skin below his ear.

"Oh…" Harry replied, glancing curiously at his hand, but quickly continuing. "Then what else can be done when something like this happens? I mean…Draco didn't exactly have time to leave and go find Neville to bring him back…so…"

"Draco has the power to contact Neville from anywhere…" Cole cut him off again, not taking his attention from Lucius, "however, he has only just begun to train, and I thought it best to start with the defensive magic, and by what you've told us only moments ago, I see I was right."

Harry thought he could argue that point, seeing as how if Neville could have brought others then there would not have been a need for Draco to use any defensive magic, but stayed silent. He didn't want to get Cole angry with him again; the conversation seemed stiff enough already.

"What exactly are you doing?" Draco spoke up suddenly, his eyes fixed on Cole's hand, which was near his father's throat.

Cole looked up absently, and Harry was sure he appeared annoyed, but his expression changed almost instantly, and a warm smile was now spread across his face.

"Something I will teach you, soon," Cole replied. "You are learning much faster than I had anticipated, and I'm sure we will make good progress."

"But what is it you're doing?" Draco persisted, obviously refusing to be deterred.

Cole's brow furrowed momentarily, and he opened his mouth to answer, when the door to the office opened once more.

"Albus," Remus began as he entered. "The Changs have…" he trailed off, noticing Lucius' unconscious form. "How did he get here?" he asked, looking both amazed and angry.

Dumbledore chuckled softly at Lupin's expression and Harry found himself almost relieved to see the twinkle in his eyes. It was so rare these days to see it anymore.

"I will answer that question, Remus," the headmaster said gently. "But I believe I heard you say the Changs have arrived?"

"Hmm?…Oh…yes, they're both here now…waiting to speak to you," Remus replied absently, looking confused and shocked.

"Very well, I will need to see them immediately. They should not be made to wait…"

"Professor?" Harry began, stepping forward. "Will you remember to…?"

"I will ask them, Harry," Dumbledore said kindly. "If they agree to see you, then I will send someone for you. Right now, I think it's best for both you and Draco to wait here, please. Make yourself some tea if you like, but don't go anywhere." He paused, turning to Cole, who was still leaning close to Lucius. "Cole, if you wouldn't mind, I don't want Mr. Malfoy left here. If he were to awaken while we were gone…"

"I completely agree," Cole said, standing up. "Where shall I take him?"

"I will show you," Dumbledore replied, gesturing for Cole to follow, before turning to Lupin. "Remus, please go tell Mr. and Mrs. Chang I will be there momentarily."

Remus didn't reply, he merely gave a faint nod, before turning and heading for the door.

"I trust the two of you will stay here, as I've asked?" Dumbledore spoke again, looking from Harry to Draco.

"Yes sir," Harry said, while Draco mumbled something that sounded similar.

"Good," Dumbledore replied. He turned again to Cole who had lifted Lucius into the air, and the two of them left the office together.

The two students stood next to one another in the hushed office, looking at the now closed door. Harry sighed inaudibly, and threw a glance at Draco, before heading towards the bookcase Sirius had shown him very early that morning.

"C'mon," he said, motioning for Draco to follow him. "We can wait back here."

"Back where?" Draco replied, eyeing the shelves quizzically. He watched as Harry slid the wall aside, and silently followed him through into the tiny kitchen beyond. "How nice," he muttered sardonically. "He gets his own kitchen…"

"He's the headmaster," Harry replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well why don't we get our own kitchens near the dorms?" Draco asked, lowering himself into a chair at the small table. "I think we could all make use of them…"

"Oh just stop," Harry cut him off briskly. "Do you want tea or no? I'm going to make some anyway."

Draco didn't reply, he merely sat and stared, a blank expression on his face, as Harry moved about near the stove, looking through the cupboards. When the water was in a pot, slowly heating, Harry crossed the room to the table and sat across from Draco.

"What do you think Cole was doing to my father?" Draco spoke suddenly, looking intently at Harry.

"I don't know," Harry admitted shaking his head slowly. "I'm sure he was just doing something to help…" he trailed off, not entirely sure he even believed his own excuse.

"Help with what, though?" Draco asked, persistently. "I mean…it's not as if he were injured or anything, just unconscious. Any student here knows how to wake someone up from that curse…"

"I know," Harry replied, his brow furrowed in thought. "I suppose we'll have to ask him next time we see him…it couldn't have been too bad though. I mean, Dumbledore didn't try to stop him, right?"

"Right…" Draco mumbled, still obviously unconvinced. He shook his head in frustration and sat back in his chair. "Why did this have to happen?" he asked, staring fixedly at his hands.

"You mean with your father?" Harry asked. "Voldemort is always sending his…"

"No," Draco cut him off, looking up abruptly. "I mean all of this…how did I end up as the defender in the first place? How did you become a Psion? None of it makes any sense really, no matter how much they explain it to us it…"

"I don't know," Harry interrupted softly. "Cole said no one knows how a Psion is chosen…it just happens. I guess it's the same for the defender and the guardian."

"Fine, it just happens," Malfoy said, rolling his eyes. "Who started it then? Who was the first Psion, and how did they make it so their powers were passed on?"

"I don't know," Harry said again. "Have you asked any of these questions to Cole? He seems to like you enough, I'm sure he'll tell you…"

"In front of you he seems to like me," Draco replied, "but he has no patience at all."

"While you're training you mean?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Draco answered. "He explains things once and expects me to know exactly what he means, and when I don't get it right away, he starts screaming. I find it hard to believe he's done this for so long, he's not very good at it…"

"I had no idea," Harry murmured. "I've only worked with the crystals once really, and I was with Allison, not Cole." He paused, looking up as the kettle began to whistle. Standing up he went to the stove and extinguished the burner. After pouring them both a cup, he turned and headed back to the table, setting both mugs down gingerly, before taking his seat again.

"Thanks," Draco muttered, looking down at the steaming mug in front of him, appearing very disinterested. Harry just nodded, and continued the discussion.

"So I'm guessing when I finally start training with Cole then, it won't exactly be fun…"

"Are you kidding?" Draco replied, raising an eyebrow. "He talks about you all the time, mostly to show me how badly I'm doing…"

"What?" Harry asked, honestly surprised. "But he's never…"

"He goes on and on about how quickly you went through your introduction with the crystals…how easily you'll be able to learn…how the connection is stronger than he's seen with past Psions…always, mind you, after I've disappointed him somehow. I've barely begun training as it is, but he expects I should know everything already…"

"I'm sorry," Harry said, not knowing what else to say.

"Whatever," Draco muttered. "I just want to get it over with now. The sooner I learn all of this the sooner I don't have to spend time with him."

"Maybe after this morning he won't do that so much anymore," Harry suggested, lightly. "I mean, he couldn't ever have gotten as mad at you for a mistake as he did with me earlier."

"I'm telling you Potter," Draco said flatly, "the man is not a teacher. Even Snape doesn't lose his patience as quickly as Cole does."

"Like you'd know anything about Snape losing his patience," Harry joked. "For every year I've been here I've seen him take points from Slytherin once."

"Well you haven't spent as much time around him as I have," Draco retorted. "He gets plenty angry at his own house when no one's around to see it." He paused for a moment, a sly grin touching his lips. "Though I can honestly say I'm glad we don't have McGonagall, that woman will take points from her own house just to prove she'll do it…"

"Believe me," Harry replied with a grin, "this I know…" he laughed slightly as several memories from his earlier years at Hogwarts ran through his mind. All of which involved him losing points for Gryffindor, but he didn't think of them and cringe. In fact, he would gladly go back in time to any of those moments, rather than be dealing with everything happening now.

"Well this is something I never would have believed," Draco spoke up, pulling Harry from his thoughts.

"What is?" he asked.

"The two of us, sitting in the same room together, speaking…joking, no less…it's weird…"

"Yeah," Harry murmured, thoughtfully, "weird…" An awkward silence fell over the two boys and Harry began stirring his tea, letting his mind wander. He hoped everything was going well, or as well as could be expected, with the Changs. Dumbledore had promised to ask if Harry could speak with them, but that didn't necessarily mean they'd agree to it. He wasn't even entirely sure what he was going to say to them, but felt he had to say something, if only to show them how truly sorry he was.

As if on cue, the entrance to the kitchen slid open softly, and both boys looked up. Remus stepped into the room, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Harry," he began before anyone could speak, "Mr. and Mrs. Chang have agreed to see you, if you still wanted to talk to them."

Harry stood up quickly, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

"Yes," he answered immediately. "Yes of course I do."

Remus nodded.

"I'll take you to them," he replied before turning his attention to the other student. "Draco, I'm afraid you'll have to remain here, headmaster's orders."

Draco merely shrugged, barely giving Remus a second glance. Harry looked down at him, wanting to say something, but finding no words. He was too nervous suddenly about having to speak with Cho's parents, and couldn't think about anything else. Stepping away from the table, he followed Remus back through into the office, and down the stairs to the hallways. Together they began walking through the silent hallways.

Neither of them spoke for the duration of the walk, and Harry realized immediately by the path Remus was directing them down that they were going to the hospital wing. When they passed through the large entranceway, the medicinal scent instantly stung Harry's nose as it always did. Remus headed off to the left as the doors closed behind them and Harry followed. They stopped outside Madam Pomfrey's office, the door was shut and the blinds had been drawn. Remus raised his hand and rapped gently against the door with his knuckles.

Harry heard muffled voices from inside that stopped abruptly upon hearing Remus' knock. A chair scraped lightly against the sleek floor and seconds later, the door swung quietly open. Dumbledore stepped out of the office, letting the door close gently behind him, before turning to the two people waiting.

"Thank you for escorting him, Remus," Dumbledore said with a nod, which Lupin returned, curtly. The headmaster placed a firm hand on Harry's shoulder, leading him just a few feet away, before bringing them both to a stop.

"As you know," he began, "Mr. and Mrs. Chang have agreed to speak with you. Please keep in mind that the loss they have suffered is one no parent should ever have to bear. They are emotionally exhausted. Whatever their decision, if you decide to bring up the issue of Cho's funeral, please do not argue. I agree it would be unfair for them to forbid you to attend, but it is, ultimately, their choice."

"I know," Harry nodded. "I just want them to understand…this isn't easy on me either…"

"You don't need to convince me Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "Please just be considerate of their feelings as well."

"I will," Harry said, anxious to go into the office.

"Do you want anyone to accompany you?" Dumbledore asked.

"No," Harry answered firmly. "I would much rather speak to them in private, if that's alright."

The headmaster nodded.

"Perfectly alright. Professor Lupin and I will be just out here if you need either of us."

"Thank you," Harry replied.

They moved together back towards the office door. Dumbledore moved aside, and smiled reassuringly, as Harry threw him one last glance, before cautiously pushing the door open, and entering the room.

Harry made sure to close the door completely behind him, before turning and stepping further into the office. The Chang's were sitting next to one another on one side of Madam Pomfrey's desk, their backs to Harry. Neither of them turned to see who had entered the room, as if it didn't matter one way or another, but Harry was not deterred. Taking a deep breath, he crossed the room to the only empty chair on the opposite side of the desk, and lowered himself into it.

Cho's parents glanced up at, blank expressions on their faces. Harry could see immediately that Mrs. Chang had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and her cheeks were flushed. Mr. Chang had not been crying, but Harry felt it wouldn't be a surprise if he were to suddenly do so. His eyes were glassy, and he looked ready to collapse from the mental strain this was putting on him.

Seeing that neither of them was going to make the first move, Harry decided to speak first.

"I wanted to speak to both of you today, so that I could tell you personally, so that you would know, how truly sorry I am. I would do anything to bring Cho back if it were possible…I loved her very much…" he trailed off, feeling his own emotions stirring powerfully within him.

"She spoke of you quite fondly," Mrs. Chang spoke, barely above a whisper. "It's a shame this is the first time we're meeting you…"

"I wish more than anything in the world the circumstances were different," Harry said sadly.

"How did it happen?" Mr. Chang spoke up then, his voice hard.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Harry asked, looking to Cho's father.

"How did my daughter die?" he asked.

"Didn't Dumbledore…I mean…you spoke to him, right? He must've told you…" Harry stammered, unable to believe Dumbledore would leave this for him to explain.

"He told us she was killed, murdered, by You-Know-Who," Mr. Chang spoke darkly, "but I want to hear from you, who was right there while it happened, what exactly came to pass."

"I…um…I…" Harry sighed inaudibly, shaking his head. "Are you sure? Do you have any questions, maybe? I could just answer…"

"Just tell us what happened!" Mr. Chang spoke abruptly, cutting Harry off. "You owe us that at least…"

Harry's eyes flew to his hands at Mr. Chang's last statement. It was painfully obvious just how much they blamed him for Cho's death, and the guilty feeling was rising within, threatening to consume him. He forced it down, knowing it wouldn't help the situation in the least.

Speaking slowly, Harry retold the events of the night that Cho had died, telling them only what he thought relevant. When he came to Voldemort speaking the fateful curse at last, he immediately went silent, feeling tears spring to his eyes. It was still too painful to relive this particular memory, and if it had been anyone besides Cho's parents who had asked him to, he would have refused. Blinking furiously, determined not to break down, he waited, anxiously, for a response.

"You-Know-Who killed my daughter," Mr. Chang began, his tone dark and strained, "my only daughter, because he thought she was some sort of protector for you? Why? What would cause him to think that?"

Harry could feel the older man's eyes boring into him, and had to force himself to look up, to meet that gaze.

"I wish I knew why," he replied in a hollow voice. "I told him over and over again he was wrong. He wouldn't listen…he didn't believe me…" he trailed off.

"How did she get there in the first place?" Mr. Chang persisted.

"Someone took her…" Harry said weakly, "from the girls dorm in the Gryffindor tower…but I don't know who…"

A brief silence fell over the room, and Harry felt as if the room were pressing in on him. He didn't think the Changs would interrogate him like this, but now that he was here, it seemed only natural. Why wouldn't they want to know exactly what had happened to their only daughter?

"How is it," Mr. Chang spoke again, his voice eerily calm, "that you managed to get away…to live through this? You're the one You-Know-Who is after, correct? Why are you still alive?"

"Mr. Chang," Harry began, "please, I…"

"Answer the question," he stated firmly.

Harry looked away from the cold stare, considering. How much could he truly tell them? Was it safe to even let them know anything at all? Shaking his head, he decided to try and explain as best he could.

"Voldemort thought…" he paused as he saw both of Cho's parents shudder visibly. "Sorry," he muttered, regretting his mistake. "You-Know-Who thought Cho was my defender. There is a…um…there's a spell…" he lied, "it was cast on me when I was very young. In order for me to die, you have to kill my defender first. He thought Cho was this person…and he was wrong."

"So my daughter died in someone else's place?" Mr. Chang asked, his expression darkening.

Harry looked away, unable to reply, not needing to. It was obvious Mr. Chang knew the answer already.

"I'm so sorry…" was all Harry could manage to say.

"I bet you are…" Mr. Chang replied, abruptly, glaring angrily at Harry.

"Stop badgering him," Mrs. Chang spoke up then, her voice so light it was barely audible. She was looking weakly at her husband.

"He's the reason Cho is dead!" Mr. Chang spat out, seeming shocked at his wife's request. Harry flinched as he spoke. He knew Mr. Chang had felt this way, it was as plain as day, but it still hurt to hear it out loud. He lowered his gaze once more, wondering if he should just try to leave.

"Please Russell, if there's anyone we should be mad at it's Albus…Cho was supposed to be safe here. We knew after what happened to us she couldn't stay home. Someone was in our house, in our daughter's room, and we were completely unaware! We couldn't have hoped to protect her."

Harry assumed she must have been talking about the time Sirius and Marzia had visited the Chang's house when they first went looking for Cho, but he remained silent.

"None of that would have mattered though, if it hadn't been for him," Mr. Chang replied harshly, jerking a thumb at Harry.

"People were after her before she came here…" Mrs. Chang said softly, tears running slowly down her face. The strain was too much for her, and Harry wished there were something, anything, that he could do to ease her pain. However, he was afraid to even speak at the moment, thinking it would only make things worse. He wanted to leave, but if he stood up, the attention would be drawn back to him, which would probably draw the same reaction as if he tried to cut in on the conversation. Glancing up at the door, wishing someone would interrupt the argument now taking place, Harry caught a flicker of movement coming from the bottom of the entrance into the office.

Slowly sitting up in his chair, Harry's jaw dropped in horror as he watched black smoke filtering noiselessly under the crack in the door.

Harry gripped the arms of his chair tightly, fighting off the dread building up within him. He looked to the Changs who were still arguing and knew there wasn't much time, they had to get out of there now. The smoke was moving in tendrils, curling underneath the door silently. When Harry saw it was making its way towards Cho's parents, it jarred him into motion. He shot up out of his seat so abruptly it fell over, causing Mr. and Mrs. Chang to look up, surprised and confused. Mr. Chang looked ready to scream, appalled that Harry had dared to interrupt, but before he could say anything Harry started speaking urgently.

"We need to get out of here, now!" he said, starting for the door, hoping they'd be able to get past the smoke that was seemingly blocking the way.

Neither of the Changs moved. They sat and stared at him, as if not understanding what he was saying.

"C'mon!" Harry said louder, his heart beating fast in his chest. He motioned furiously for them to get up. "I'm serious, look!" he turned and pointed at the smoke only to step back in shock. It was right next to him, drawn up to match his height. All the color drained from Mrs. Chang's face and Mr. Chang's eyes could not have been any wider. They both seemed frozen to their seats with fear.

Harry stepped backwards slowly, looking around wildly for any other escape, but the door was the only entrance or exit in sight. He didn't know how to fight the smoke, if it could even be done, and by the looks on the Changs' faces, they didn't know either. Nevertheless, he pulled out his wand, unwilling to give up without a fight.

The smoke however, seemed almost disinterested in Harry; instead, it slunk back down near the floor, making its way once again towards the Changs. Mrs. Chang opened her mouth in a silent scream, clinging to the chair, pushing back against it as if it would protect her. Mr. Chang, however finally seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation and stood, taking his wife by the rest he pulled her forcefully up next to him, before stepping in front of her and drawing out his wand.

"Haustum," he said immediately, looking intently at the billowing clouds of smoke wafting towards him. Harry noticed the air in front of the wand begin to spin, making a small funnel. The smoke was drawn forward towards it, and for a moment it seemed as though the funnel would suck in the black mist. However, as the smoke came in contact with the small whirlwind, it evaporated, leaving no trace.

Mr. Chang's expression grew even more fearful and he looked around quickly, as Harry had done before, coming to the same conclusion. There was only one way out, and it was completely blocked. The smoke was splitting off into thin strands, encircling the Changs threateningly. Harry stood, watching in horror, as it drew closer and closer around them. The panic in their faces was all too evident and Harry couldn't stand by and do nothing any longer.

Raising his wand in a hand growing slippery from sweat, he called out the first spell that came to his mind.

"Fumus Concipio!" he cried, anxiously. A low hum began to emit from his wand, slowly gaining in pitch, as the air in the room fought to pull the smoke towards him. He watched, nervously as it seemed to work at first, the smoke began drifting away from the Changs, slowly, but moving nonetheless.

When suddenly, something unexpected happened. The black mist seemed to split in half; the closer portion allowed itself to be pulled towards him, forcing him to step back as it neared him. It seemed almost willing to let the spell bring it closer, and Harry didn't think the magic he'd used was having any effect on the smoke.

It raised itself up as it had done earlier and Harry kept moving backwards, having nowhere else to go, knowing he couldn't let it touch him, but running out of room.

He could barely see the Changs anymore through the wall of smoke in front of him, but their voices sounded muffled, strangled even, and he knew whatever was happening had to be stopped.

"Professor Dumbledore!" he yelled in a last desperate attempt as the mist began to close in around him. "Remus! Madam Pomfrey! Can anyone hear me? Please help!"

All he could do now was hope someone had heard, as just when he finished yelling his back ran up against the wall. He glanced around, trying not to panic, only to see he was in the corner of the office, with nothing to use as a weapon. The black haze pushed in on him, and he pressed himself as far into the corner as possible to keep away from it. He saw it connect with the wall around him, completely blocking out the light, and shut his eyes tightly, preparing himself for what was coming…when it stopped.

Harry waited, barely breathing for several seconds, before he realized what had happened. He opened his eyes cautiously still unable to see anything past the smoke, pressed tightly into the corner, trying to remain motionless. He couldn't understand what was going on, until the sounds of the Changs anguished cries reached his ears through the haze. They were in pain, and apparently no one had heard his call for help as none had arrived. The smoke hadn't attacked him as the Changs had been its target from the beginning, and now he was trapped, forced to listen to their suffering, but unable to help them in any way.

As the seconds passed, Harry began to feel increasingly frantic for a way out. The air around him grew stale, there was no help coming that he knew of, and the Changs were in dire need of it. He glanced down, unable to see in the darkness around him, and slowly began to extend the fingers on his left hand. He had no way of raising his arm without touching the smoke entirely, and so decided to test it first. He couldn't see how close he was and pushed his hand away from his side slightly, tensely waiting to feel the misty substance.

For a brief moment, Harry thought he would be able to pass through it easily, but no sooner had the thought crossed his mind then his fingers felt a sharp twinge of pain, much like an electric shock. He felt the jolt run through his body, slamming his back into the corner even further. He inhaled sharply as a bolt of pain ran up his spine, but held back any cry threatening to escape.

Now that he knew touching the smoke was not an option, he tried to think of any other way past it. The Changs' voices could no longer be heard and he prayed they were still alright. Shifting his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, he could feel the sweat dripping down his face and the pain in his back was quite prominent. Even though he knew there was no way out that he could see, he thought if he had some light there may be a chance of finding one.

Tightening the grip on the wand in his right hand, he whispered the spell.

"Lumos."

Instantly a bright beam of light shown from the tip, but as his hand was positioned at the floor, it was still hard to see. Glancing down, he could see the end of the wand quite clearly, looking just next to it; however, he noticed something a bit more interesting. The smoke around the tip of the wand had pulled away. He still couldn't see through it, but it was obviously keeping away from the wand. At first, Harry thought it was the light that was causing it, but the light had been on in the office when the smoke had arrived, and it hadn't seemed to draw away from it then.

Deciding to think about it later, he began to raise his right hand, the smoke billowing out, away from the wand, as he did so. He pulled the wand up in front of his face, taking a deep breath, before swiping forward in one swift motion, through the smoke. The result was exactly what Harry had hoped it would be. The smoke split down the center, retreating from the wand, and Harry didn't waste any time. He lunged forward, out of the corner, feeling the fresh air filling his lungs.

Glancing once over his shoulder, he saw the smoke begin to reform into one billowing cloud, but didn't wait for it to happen, he turned quickly and started towards the Changs, only to come to a dead stop, horrified at the sight before him.

Harry stood, frozen to the spot momentarily, and stared at the Changs, dread filling him entirely. The smoke that had been surrounding them was all but gone now. There were a few lone tendrils left, and from what he could see, the mist was forcing itself inside of them. The movement of the smoke reminded Harry of a snake, slithering stealthily through the grass, and it was entering Mr. and Mrs. Chang through their ears, noses and mouths. Their eyes were both wide in terror, but neither seemed to be able to move or speak, and he could see them trying to fight it, and losing. Their bodies were shaking from fear and exhaustion.

It was only when Mrs. Chang's gaze shifted ever so slightly, meeting Harry's, that he was jarred into action. He jumped forward, swiping at the last of the haze surrounding her. It moved aside just as before, but as Harry turned toward Mr. Chang to do the same for him, the smoke returned to his wife. He couldn't do both at once, try as he might, but it was in vain. Soon the last of the smoke had gone and both Changs lay limply in their chairs, barely breathing.

Harry lowered his head in defeat, and backed up slowly. As he began to turn for the door, hoping to find the others on the opposite side, a glimmer of movement caught his eye. The other cloud of smoke was still in the room, it had remained motionless as Harry had attempted to help the Changs, but now it was moving again, and heading straight for him.

Feeling a wave of despair wash over him, he turned quickly towards the door. His wand seemed to be able to keep the smoke away, but it didn't appear to harm it. There was too much of it to hope to keep his distance for very long, and he didn't want to put it to the test.

Grasping the handle of the door, he turned it with a swift twist and pulled.

Nothing happened.

Harry let go quickly. His hands were sweaty and perhaps he hadn't turned the knob fully. Rubbing them against his robes to dry them, he brought them back up and tried again.

Once more, nothing.

The door refused to budge and it wasn't anything to do with him, someone had cursed it, locking him in.

"Dammit," he breathed quietly, looking around frantically. The smoke seemed to be taking its time, but it moved steadily closer with each passing second.

Harry balled his hand into a fist, pounding forcefully on the door, calling to anyone on the other side that might hear him, but no one answered. No one came. He glanced to his right at the windows. The blinds had been pulled shut, and he reached out to rip them open, but as his fingers came in contact with them, he pulled his hand back immediately when a sharp pain ran through it. Looking down he saw several horizontal slits running across his fingers where they had touched the blinds.

The smoke was now moving faster, and he was running out of time. He didn't know what it had done to the Changs, or what it wanted with him, as at first it only seemed to want him out of the way, but he didn't want to find out.

Looking around, he spotted an empty chair nearby. Tossing his wand into Mr. Chang's lap, he lifted the chair with both hands, and brought it up over his head, before releasing it, full force, towards the window.

Harry watched as if in slow motion as the chair moved through the air, holding his breath, waiting. As it made contact with the window, a bright spark caused him to look away for a split second, but he glanced up again quickly as the shattering of glass echoed in his ears. He had no idea why whatever curse had been used didn't seem to hold up against the chair, but wasn't going to waste any time thinking about it for this moment.

Looking over his shoulder, Harry saw the smoke was now almost upon him. Spinning again towards the window, he was filled with relief as several familiar faces came into view. He began to call out, to warn them about the smoke, when he heard a strange rush of air nearby. Looking towards where the sound had come from, he spied the last of the mist creeping under the door, and out of sight. In the next instant, the doorknob twisted and Dumbledore walked in, followed by Remus and Cole.

"What happ…" Dumbledore began, but stopped abruptly upon seeing the Changs, unconscious in their seats. Harry looked over at them as well, before his eyes fell on his wand. He had forgotten that he'd dropped it onto Mr. Chang's lap when the smoke was coming at him, but now he rushed forward to grab it. The tip of the wand was lying against Mr. Chang's leg, and it had burned straight through his pants, singeing the soft flesh beneath it. A small tendril of black smoke was coming from the wound, but the instant Harry removed the wand, the smoke stopped, and the wound began to close.

"Remus, Cole," Dumbledore spoke firmly. "Please bring Russell and Carol out to Poppy and have her see to them. I'll want Allison to have a look as well."

Both men nodded, moving forward, but Remus stopped beside Harry.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Harry nodded faintly, feeling confused. Had they been out there this entire time? Why hadn't they heard him? Why hadn't they seen the smoke? What did whoever sent it want with the Changs?

Harry watched, feeling almost numb as Remus and Cole lifted Cho's parents gently out of their seats and levitated them out of the cluttered office. He stood very still, wanting answers for his questions, but not quite certain anyone would have them. When a hand fell gently on his shoulder, he looked up, startled from his thoughts, to find Dumbledore looking down at him.

"Please come with me Harry," he said quietly, his tone authoritative but kind. Harry didn't question the headmaster as they left the hospital wing and headed back upstairs to his office. When they were both inside, the first thing Harry noticed was Draco was still there. In all that had happened since leaving the office, he'd forgotten about him even being there at all. But he was still waiting, as he was asked, in a chair near the fire. He looked up curiously as the other two entered, but didn't ask any questions.

Dumbledore turned to Harry as the door shut behind him and began speaking quickly.

"I do not know what just happened in that office Harry, but it is very clear to me that it was something horrible. I will need you to explain it to me shortly; just as soon as I see to it that the Changs are being taken care of. Please wait here until I return, I promise I will not be long."

Harry again didn't respond, but nodded to the headmaster's request. Dumbledore looked down at him, a glint of sadness in his eyes, before turning on the spot, his robes billowing around him as he moved, and headed back down the stairs.

Harry didn't know what to make of anything anymore, it was all too much. Turning away from the door, he shuffled slowly to the empty chair beside Draco's, before slumping into it, letting the exhaustion set in. His wand, he noticed, was still held tightly in his grip, and he almost had to force his fingers to relax as he placed it back in his pocket.

"So," Draco spoke up, causing Harry to look up abruptly. "Do I want to know what happened?"

Harry met Draco's gaze for only a moment, before glancing away again. He hadn't failed to catch the sardonic tone of his voice and wasn't in the mood to put up with him right now.

"Nothing," Harry muttered, staring fixedly at the crackling fire before him.

"Nothing?" Draco repeated, obviously not willing to accept that answer. "So then if nothing happened, how is it my back is in pain and my fingers were stinging? They're a bit numb now…"

"Did you tell anyone?" Harry interrupted, glancing up at Malfoy.

"Who could I tell?" he replied with a shrug. "I was basically ordered not to leave and no one was around. If it had gotten that bad I would've left, but it didn't last long."

Harry stared at him in disbelief. It seemed Malfoy would only be helping him if the pain he felt was unbearable. Shaking his head, not wanting to think about it, he turned his attention to his injured hand. The bleeding had all but stopped and dried blood was caked over his fingers, but they still ached fiercely.

Standing up slowly, he made his way across the office and through to the kitchen, where he cleaned the tiny wounds. His back was protesting any sudden movements and he thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit Madam Pomfrey, no matter how much he truly did not want to go back down to the hospital wing anytime soon.

After drying his hand, and not finding any bandages, Harry walked back out into the office, sliding the wall shut behind him. He lowered himself again into the chair beside Draco, wanting only to relax in silence and wait for the others to arrive, but Malfoy spoke as soon as Harry sat.

"Did you hear anything else about my father?" he asked almost anxiously.

"No," Harry replied flatly, shutting his eyes softly. His head was aching dully from all the questions he had, mostly pertaining to the events of the day, and he wished very much that he had a sleeping potion right now. He'd take it without any complaints.

Draco sat back in his chair with a huff.

"Dumbledore better not have been lying to me…if anyone hurts my…"

"Dumbledore wouldn't lie," Harry cut him off abruptly, his eyes remaining closed. "Lucius will be fine."

"Well what if someone gets to him when your beloved headmaster isn't around?" Draco asked angrily. "What then?"

"He's our headmaster," Harry replied pointedly, "and no one that is on our side would disobey him."

Draco snorted, showing his obvious disbelief for that statement.

"Are you so sure?" he asked snidely. "What about Black?"

"Sirius?" Harry asked, now turning and meeting Draco's gaze. "What about him?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, his tone clearly daring Malfoy to say something insulting about his godfather.

Before either Draco or Harry could utter another word, however, a new voice spoke up from the doorway.

"That'll be quite enough you two," Cole stated firmly, his eyes fixed on the students as he stepped into the office. "This isn't the time to be arguing."

"Are Mr. and Mrs. Chang alright?" Harry asked immediately, turning in his chair, and abandoning all thought of Draco's last statement. The expression on Cole's face didn't alter in the slightest as he answered.

"It's best we wait for Professor Dumbledore to arrive for that explanation. He was only just behind me, so it won't be long."

Harry simply nodded, unable to tell anything from Cole's masked face; it was completely unreadable.

"What about my father?" Draco asked, and Harry threw him a vehement glare. He knew he shouldn't be angry with Malfoy. It was only normal to worry about your father, but the way Draco was clearly showing how much of a one-track mind he had was starting to become annoying.

"Your father is being looked after, don't worry," Cole answered curtly.

"By who?" Malfoy pressed on insistently, but before any answer could be given, the door to the office opened once again. Dumbledore walked in, followed by Remus and Sirius.

"Harry," Sirius said immediately upon seeing his godson. He crossed the room in a flash and knelt down beside the chair Harry sat in. "Are you alright?" he asked, eyes searching in concern.

"I'm fine," Harry replied quickly, "but what about the Changs? Are they okay? What did the smoke do to them?"

"Smoke?" Remus asked, confused. "What smoke?"

Harry sighed quietly.

"I figured you hadn't seen it," he spoke quietly. "You didn't hear me call to you either."

"While you were in the office?" Remus asked, his eyes widening in shock. Harry nodded.

"How could that…" Remus began, turning to the headmaster, but stopped as Dumbledore held up a hand.

"I think," he spoke gravely, "that we first need to hear exactly what happened."

Harry cleared his throat, as if taking his cue, preparing himself to explain what he'd just seen, as best he could.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Harry said quietly when he'd finished telling his story. He'd explained what had happened in Madam Pomfrey's office as quickly as possible, wanting to get it all out without interruption, and for a few moments after, no one spoke, all lost in their own thoughts. Harry broke the silence finally, needing to ask a question.

"One thing?" Remus asked, pointedly. "I have a growing list."

"Well there's one thing I don't understand above the rest," Harry said quickly. "I have too many questions to remember them all, but what I'm most concerned about is the Changs. Why were they the target? Who could possibly be after them?"

"I'm afraid those are some of my questions as well," Dumbledore replied gravely. "I can think of many names, but no reasons."

"Will they be alright?" Harry asked. As the headmaster met his eyes and Harry caught a flash of grief in them, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know the answer.

"They are alive," Dumbledore answered slowly.

"But…" Harry prompted, seeing the headmaster wasn't finished.

"But they are in much the same state as Professor Snape and Percy Weasley," Dumbledore spoke gently. "They are both in comas, unable to be reached, and no magic we try seems to have any effect."

Harry nodded faintly, dropping his gaze to his hands. He was glad, at least, that the Changs were alive, but things only seemed to be getting worse. This made four people in comas, all for reasons that weren't the slightest bit clear.

"Why do you think," he spoke softly, keeping his eyes down, "you weren't able to hear me? Why didn't you see the smoke?"

"Well whoever sent it didn't want anyone outside of that office to know," Cole spoke up, matter-of-factly.

"And do you have any idea as to who might be able to do that?" Harry asked. "Because the only name that comes to my mind is Saaneeraa."

"I would have to agree," Cole nodded. "The power it would require to stop Albus, Remus, Poppy and myself from seeing the smoke, not to mention anyone else it may have passed on its way to that office, would be an enormous amount. Only an entity could do it."

"So then we're really on our own here, aren't we?" Harry asked, emotionlessly. "The ministry has disappeared, the entities can come and go as they please, and the Inquisitors obviously can't sense them…"

"The Inquisitors have only just arrived," Cole said softly. "Give them time, if the entities are present in the school often, they will be able to sense them soon enough."

"Give them time?" Harry asked, a small twinge of anger twisting inside him. "How much time? What if someone else is hurt, or killed, before that time comes?"

"It's better than nothing, Harry," Cole said in a voice straining not to sound harsh.

"What about earlier today?" Harry persisted, "Why didn't the Inquisitors sense Lucius?"

"The only reason," Cole began evenly, "that the Inquisitors would not have alerted someone to Lucius' presence, is if he had been introduced to them."

"What?" Sirius cried, his eyes going wide. "From what I was told only a person who had already been introduced could do the same for someone else."

"That's correct," Cole replied curtly.

"Well then who would do that?" Sirius went on urgently. "Could it have been one of the entities?"

Cole seemed to consider for a moment before replying.

"The way I see it, there are two possibilities. The first would be, one of the entities is disguised among us, and we unknowingly introduced them to the Inquisitors." He paused for a moment, looking at each of them in turn, before continuing. "The second, one of us is a traitor. In either scenario this person, upon being introduced to the Inquisitors, did the same for Malfoy."

"I only know one person in this school who would willingly help Lucius Malfoy," Sirius spoke vehemently, turning his glare on Draco.

"I didn't!" Draco cried immediately, jumping up from his chair. He eyed Sirius warily, as if waiting for him to try something.

"Sirius, please," Dumbledore spoke firmly. "Do not start throwing accusations without any proof. Draco is well aware of the seriousness in this situation, and I find it highly unlikely he would be the one to have helped Lucius."

"Which I didn't," Draco reiterated stubbornly.

"Well who then?" Sirius asked, turning to the headmaster in exasperation. "We've been playing guessing games for months. We need to start getting some answers and we need them now!"

"I couldn't agree more," Dumbledore replied. "And at this time, we are doing all that is within our power, as you know."

"It certainly doesn't seem to be enough, does it?" Sirius asked, lowering his voice.

Dumbledore didn't reply, but it was obvious he felt the same. The magic they were up against was beyond their own, and Harry felt a wave of despair wash over him. If things were so bad that even Dumbledore was scared, it made the situation feel hopeless.

"I want the both of you staying here again tonight," the headmaster spoke, looking from Harry to Draco. "No arguments, please, Mr. Malfoy," he added as Draco opened his mouth to protest. "Just do as I ask."

Standing up, almost mechanically, Harry said goodnight to everyone in the room, and turned to wait for Draco, who looked very unhappy.

"There's just one thing I want to ask," Draco said, looking intently at the headmaster.

"Go right ahead," Dumbledore replied with a nod.

"Where is my father…and who is he with?"

"Lucius is in the school, you needn't worry about where just now. At this time I believe Marzia is looking after him."

"Marzia!" Draco cried, stunned. Harry groaned inwardly, he knew he never should have said anything about her to him. How could he have expected him to keep quiet?

Sirius glared at Malfoy, his eyes flashing.

"And what, pray tell, is wrong with that? Marzia is perfectly capable of…"

"But what if she does something to him! If she knows I'm…"

"Draco!" Harry interrupted loudly, needing to stop him from speaking now. "I think we just need to…"

"He's my father, Potter!" Malfoy almost shouted. "I'm not staying quiet, not about this. If she knows I'm the defender, she might do something to him! I can't…"

"What are you talking about?" Cole interrupted. "Of course Marzia knows you're the defender. What difference does that…?"

"Because she might be Saaneeraa!" Draco blurted out, looking frantic now. "She might use him against me…I can't…"

"What?" Sirius cried in shock. Harry closed his eyes, groaning inwardly. So there it was, out in the open, no taking it back now.

"Where in Merlin's name would you get that ridiculous idea?" Sirius spoke through clenched teeth. He had balled his hands into fists and was now slowly moving towards Malfoy. "I think you better start explaining…"

"Sirius, please calm down," Dumbledore spoke in an authoritative tone as he stood up. "We will not handle this in that manner."

"Did you just hear him?" Sirius asked incredulously. "He's saying…"

"I heard quite clearly, thank you," Dumbledore cut him off. "And we will talk about it, so if you please…sit," he stated firmly, pointing at a nearby chair.

Harry could see the fury still building in his godfather's eyes. Malfoy's comment had stunned him, but now the anger was taking over. He looked simply murderous and Harry was worried for a moment that Sirius wasn't going to pay any mind to what Dumbledore had said. But Remus saw it too, and stepping forward, took hold of Sirius' arm. Sirius turned his glare on his friend, but Remus merely shook his head.

"Let's not do this, Sirius. Just calm down so we can find out what's going on."

Sirius shrugged the hand off of his arm almost violently, but he didn't move any closer to Malfoy. Harry hadn't seen him this angry since the end of his fourth year at Hogwarts. However, Remus refused to leave his side, so with an angry sigh, Sirius dropped into the chair nearest him, glaring hatefully at Malfoy.

Dumbledore shook his head, his expression a mixture of exasperation and sadness, before turning his gaze on Draco.

"Now Mr. Malfoy," he began, "if it isn't too much to ask, could you please explain to us why you don't trust Marzia?"

Draco glanced up at Harry, almost guiltily. He knew he'd broken his promise to keep quiet, but Harry also understood…this was his father after all, no matter what he felt for Lucius he couldn't expect Draco to remain silent.

Stepping forward, Harry cleared his throat.

"Actually…I think…" he paused, glancing over to Sirius, "I think I'm the one who should answer that question."

Sirius' brow furrowed in confusion as he looked upon his godson and Harry had to speak quickly, before he lost his nerve.

"I'm the reason Draco doesn't trust Marzia…because I'm not sure I trust her either."

The room sounding deafeningly silent to Harry. He didn't want to do it this way, all he had were his suspicions, no proof that she had done anything wrong, but it was too late now.

"We're listening, Mr. Potter," Cole spoke up. "Why don't you trust her?"

Harry nodded quickly, and began his explanation. He went through everything he had the night before, Halloween, Percy, the night Hermione took the broom just after speaking with Marzia, receiving the bottle on Christmas morning and the strange behavior from both her and Sirius, and being interrupted during dinner in the observatory with Mel.

He paused for a moment, looking around the room at the others. Dumbledore, Cole and Remus appeared to be considering all he had said, while Sirius just looked…defeated, sad. He couldn't even meet his godson's eyes, and Harry felt a wave of grief wash over him. He never intended to do this to Sirius, and wished desperately he could take it all back, but he wasn't finished yet, and had to force himself to continue.

"After what happened today…I…I think there's one more reason…to…suspect her…" he stammered, truly not wanting to talk about it anymore.

"The smoke?" Dumbledore asked, more of a statement then a question. Harry nodded, glumly.

"How does that…?" Sirius began, before realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh…her curse on the dementors at Hogsmeade…"

"It looked exactly the same…and somehow…it felt it too…" Harry tried to explain.

"Anyone from Faerun can do that spell though," Sirius spoke, looking earnestly at the headmaster. "And seeing as there are so many people around here lately that are," he paused, glancing pointedly at Cole, "we can't be certain it was Marzia."

"But," Remus spoke in an apologetic tone, "you have to admit much of the evidence does point towards her."

"Or it's a string of bad coincidences!" Sirius spoke angrily. "Nothing said here proves Marzia has ever done anything against us."

"I know," Harry spoke up loudly, seeing his godfather's temper start to flare. "Which is exactly why I never intended to tell you, not unless I was positive."

Sirius looked at Harry with an unreadable expression on his face, but didn't speak.

"The fact is, although most of what we know does seem to point to Marzia, it is inconclusive. We cannot be certain, and in this particular situation, I do not see how even confronting her would get us an answer. I'm sorry to say we will have to be keeping a much closer watch on Marzia from now on." He paused momentarily, turning to Lupin. "Remus I would appreciate if you would please take over for now in keeping watch on Mr. Malfoy."

"That's not fair," Sirius said fiercely, remaining motionless in his chair. "Are you going to take away all of her responsibilities now? Even if she is Saaneeraa, which she is not, wouldn't that make her and Lucius on the same side? What would she do to him?"

"I am not going to speculate on things that may or may not be," Dumbledore spoke sternly, his eyes fixed on Sirius. "I am simply taking no more unnecessary risks. I am not asking Marzia to leave the school but closer watch will be kept on her, whether you approve or not."

Harry watched, feeling nearly consumed with guilt, as his godfather and the headmaster silently faced off. He knew he should feel happy that he was no longer the only one suspecting Marzia, but he didn't. Instead, he wished nothing had been said, as the pain and grief it was causing his godfather was all too evident.

Suddenly Sirius stood up, and without a word, he stalked across the room towards the door. They all listened, as his footsteps retreated, echoing loudly down the stairs. Remus glanced nervously at the headmaster but Dumbledore just shook his head.

"Let him go, he will need time to think, to simmer down. Please just do as I asked, relieve Marzia of her watch. I will come to see you shortly."

Remus nodded uncertainly, but didn't argue. He turned towards the door and started downstairs.

"As for you two," Dumbledore said, looking to Harry and Draco. "It has been a very long day for both of you, and it's time for you to rest. There is much going on right now, and I know the answers we need seem out of reach, but we will figure this out. Now, off to bed with you both, I will see you in the morning." He smiled faintly as he finished, but Harry could see the distress beneath it. Feeling sick with worry and guilt, he murmured goodnight to both Dumbledore and Cole, before following Draco through the door at the back of the office, and into the maze of sleeping quarters.

Harry didn't feel much like talking right now, and when they found a room with two beds in it, he immediately headed for the closer one.

"I wasn't going to say anything," Draco spoke up, quietly, standing near the door. "I knew you didn't want Sirius to know, and I really was going to keep it that way…but…my father…I had to say something…"

"It's alright," Harry said, while moving the pillows aside and finding the nightclothes. "I understand why you did it…if the roles were reversed, I would have done the same."

He sat on the edge of the bed; beginning to take off his shoes, ready to just get some rest. Malfoy stood where he was a moment longer, watching Harry before sighing resignedly and heading for the opposite side of the room, to the other bed. The two of them changed quickly and quietly, neither having anything left to say. Harry didn't know about Draco, but he had so many unanswered questions his head felt ready to burst. Slipping in between the sheets, he tried to push the thoughts from his head. He didn't want to think about Saaneeraa, Marzia, Cole, or even Sirius right now.

That was his biggest worry, that Sirius was obviously angry with him. He never wanted everything to come out as it had, and hoped his godfather would forgive him. If it turned out Marzia had been on their side from the beginning, he felt Sirius would never speak to him again. Marzia would know, without a doubt, that she was under suspicion now. There would be no way they'd let her roam about as freely as she'd been able to for the past few months.

Shutting his eyes tightly, Harry forced the images away. There was no point in worrying about it now, what was done, was done. All he could do was wait.

Harry didn't know how long he lay awake, but after what felt like hours, he finally drifted off into a very restless sleep.

When next he opened his eyes, Harry felt as if he'd just run a mile. He was tired and groggy, and wanted only to stay right where he was and continue sleeping, but thought better of it. He pushed himself up on his elbows, squinting towards the bedside table, when he heard the door open. He quickly grabbed for his glasses, and put them on, to see that Sirius had entered the room.

"Can we talk?" he asked his godson seriously.

Harry nodded eagerly, feeling both anxious and hopeful. He glanced briefly across the room, noticing Malfoy had already awoken, as his bed was empty, before turning back to his godfather.

"Sirius, I'm so sorry," he said guiltily, their eyes meeting. "I didn't want to…"

"Harry, wait," Sirius interrupted gently. "I didn't come here to blame you for anything. In fact I came to apologize."

"For what?" Harry asked, surprised and confused. "You didn't do…" he trailed off as Sirius held up a hand, indicating for him to stop.

"Please, just give me a moment," he spoke quietly, lowering himself onto the edge of the bed. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did last night, you didn't need that on top of everything else you're dealing with."

"No, Sirius, no don't say that. I never should have said anything to Malfoy. There's no proof that any of what I said…"

"That doesn't matter, Harry," Sirius cut him off. "I knew you felt guilty last night, and I didn't say anything…I let you feel that way, and then I left."

"You had every right to be upset," Harry spoke softly, looking down at his hands.

"But not at you," Sirius stated. "And after thinking about it, and believe me, I haven't done much else since last night, I can see why you would suspect Marzia now."

Harry looked up abruptly.

"Wait…you think I'm right?" he asked uncertainly.

Sirius smiled faintly, raising one eyebrow at his godson.

"Now I didn't say that, did I?" he asked wryly. "I understand that you have your suspicions, and I can see why, but I don't think Marzia is connected with Saaneeraa. I think we're being made to believe she is though."

Harry looked at his godfather for a moment in silence, before fully understanding what he'd just heard.

"Wait…you think someone's setting Marzia up? Why?"

"To take the focus away from themselves would be my guess," Sirius answered seriously. "If we're all so busy concentrating on watching Marzia, the person who's truly a threat to us may go unnoticed."

"But who?" Harry asked. "Who would do that?"

Sirius shook his head slowly.

"There are too many people I don't trust right now Harry, so I have no way to answer that question. Marzia and I will be doing everything possible to find the true enemy here…and expose them."

Harry averted his eyes as his godfather spoke.

"I hate to even bring this up…" he began hesitantly, "but are you positive you can trust Marzia? I know you don't want to believe she's against us, but you even admitted you could see why I suspect her."

"Harry," Sirius began gently. "I understand your reasons for not trusting her. But I don't agree with them. I do trust Marzia, with all my heart I believe she's on our side. And unless I'm proven completely and utterly wrong, I will continue to believe this."

"What if completely and utterly wrong means someone else dying?" Harry asked quietly, shaking his head. "I can't go through that again Sirius…I can't…"

"You won't," Sirius said firmly, reaching out and placing a hand on his godson's shoulder. "I swear you won't."

Harry thought there was really no way Sirius could make such a promise, as neither of them knew who was trustworthy and who wasn't, but he didn't want to talk about it any longer. He nodded faintly at his godfather's statement, before quickly changing the subject.

"What's going to happen with Mr. and Mrs. Chang? And what about…" he paused, lowering his voice, "what about the funeral?"

"The Changs will remain in the care of Madam Pomfrey and Professor Gazten for the time being. As for the funeral…it will be postponed, until we know more."

"Postponed?" Harry repeated weakly. He knew there wasn't much choice, seeing as if there was any chance of Mr. and Mrs. Chang waking up they had to wait, but he needed closure at the same time, and now he would have to wait even longer.

"I know it's the last thing you wanted to hear right now," Sirius said apologetically. "But I'm sure you understand…"

"No I do," Harry interrupted, trying to smile reassuringly. "I do." He sighed lightly, shifting his position, feeling a bit restless suddenly.

"Where is everyone now then?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore, Cole, Marzia…and what about Lucius?"

"Lucius will be remaining in the school for the time being, under close watch. Albus has spoken with him, for several hours in fact, early this morning. He wouldn't say much, but from what he told us, Lucius would be a danger to both you and Draco if we let him go. If he didn't go after either of you on his own, he'd surely relay what he's learned to Voldemort. It isn't safe to release him."

"So we're just going to keep him locked up?" Harry asked. "Won't Draco be mad?"

"We don't have much of a choice," Sirius replied. "It isn't as if we're keeping him in some dirty dungeon cell, he is being well taken care of, but he has to stay where he is. As for Draco," Sirius went on, a sly smile spreading across his face, "he'll have to learn to deal with disappointment, it'll be a good learning experience for him."

Harry shook his head, a faint grin on his lips.

"You're terrible, sometimes, you know that don't you? Just terrible."

"I try," Sirius joked, taking a deep breath, a humble expression on his face.

"That's it, out!" Harry cried, laughing. "I need to get dressed anyway, don't want to sit here all day…"

"No I can't imagine you would. Besides, Albus has something to tell you anyway, something I think you'll want to hear…"

"Really?" Harry asked, intrigued. "What is it?"

"Can't tell ya," Sirius replied with a teasing grin. "I guess you'll just have to wait and find out."

Harry groaned as his godfather left the room, but smiled just the same. Changing his clothes back into the one's he'd worn the day before as quickly as possible, he raced out of the room, and headed back for the office.

When Harry stepped through the doorway to the headmaster's office, he found both Dumbledore and Sirius waiting for him, sitting on either side of the large desk. They looked up as he entered, and Harry was relieved to see they were both smiling faintly. He didn't want any more fighting between them.

"Good morning, Harry," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning," Harry replied, taking the empty chair next to Sirius. "And yes, thank you. I slept fine," he said, even though he still felt a bit groggy.

"Well you still have a few days of break yet," Dumbledore said, seeing that Harry looked somewhat overtired. "Sirius told me that he spoke with you about the Changs and Mr. Malfoy?"

Harry nodded faintly.

"Yes he did," he said quietly, "Has Draco been told about Lucius?"

"I spoke to him when he woke this morning," the headmaster replied.

"And?" Harry prompted.

"He was not pleased, to say the least," Dumbledore said seriously, "but he has calmed down since then. He realizes this is for the safety of both of you, as well as for his father."

Harry nodded, expecting as much. Glancing away from the headmaster, towards his godfather, he noticed a sly grin on Sirius' face, before quickly looking back to Dumbledore, remembering why he'd raced out there.

"Sirius said you had something to tell me," Harry began, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Did he now?" Dumbledore replied, smirking. His eyes twinkled mischievously as he leaned closer to Harry across his desk. "A word of advice, Harry," he said, quietly, his smile broadening, "never tell Sirius Black something you want kept secret. It's a physical strain for him not to tell anyone."

"Hey!" Sirius cried, in mock insult. "Stop lying to my godson, Albus, I can keep a secret…" he trailed off, seeing the large smile on Harry's face. "Besides," he continued, looking back at the headmaster, "I didn't tell him anything, apart from the fact that you wanted to speak with him…what's so bad about that?"

Dumbledore chuckled softly, shaking his head, but didn't reply, instead he turned his attention to Harry, his demeanor becoming a bit more serious.

"There is something I want to ask you, Harry," he began pleasantly. "And listen to all I say before you answer. I believe, that we can still continue the quidditch season this year. I know there is much going on, and any practices that are held will most certainly be under very close supervision, it would not be Madam Hooch alone any longer. But if you feel up to it, then I will allow the season to begin again."

"You're asking me if I want there to be quidditch this year?" Harry asked incredulously. "It's my choice?"

"If it were not your last year," Dumbledore explained, "And if I did not feel it was appropriate, then it would not be your decision. But I know it's sometimes necessary to have something to occupy your mind, especially in hard times, and I know how much you love this game. But I did not want to assume, so if you do not want it, I won't announce it to the school, and that will be that."

Harry couldn't believe it; he was being given the choice to make for the entire school.

"Yes!" he said without hesitation, smiling brightly. "Yes of course I want it to continue!"

"I thought that would be your answer," Dumbledore replied, grinning.

"Thank you," Harry said. "I mean it, I really thought you were going to cancel the season for this year…"

"I was going to," Dumbledore replied, nodding. "It was only after much argument…much nagging, I should say, from your godfather here, that we decided on giving you the option."

Harry looked quickly to Sirius, who was beaming at him.

"Thank you," he said again, genuinely smiling.

"Just make sure Gryffindor wins the cup," Sirius said with a wink.

"Yes sir," Harry replied, saluting jokingly, before looking back at the headmaster.

"What about practice? When will we be able to start?"

"The amount of time you have to practice," Dumbledore began seriously, "will be less than it has been in past years, Madam Hooch will be scheduling times for each house, but it will be equally spread out, so it will remain fair. The games will be much closer together than they usually are, so it will be important that everyone stick close to the schedule."

Harry nodded, too happy over the fact that quidditch was still going to continue this year to care about shortened practice times.

He talked with Sirius and Dumbledore for a few moments more, and promised the headmaster he wouldn't say anything until he'd announced it to the school, before thanking them both again and starting back to his common room, smiling more than he had the entire week.


	22. Chapter 22

Harry stepped through the portrait hole quickly, into the bustling common room. Everyone seemed to have stayed in today, and as he glanced at the windows Harry noticed for the first time that day that it was raining out. Some people were taking advantage of the time to get homework done that had been assigned over the break, and Harry remembered he still had so much of it to work on, as he hadn't begun yet. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were back in the corner as usual, and he started towards them right away, waving and smiling at a few people that said hi to him along the way.

"Harry!" Ginny cried spotting him first as he neared the circle of chairs. Ron and Hermione spun in their seats as they heard her.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked immediately.

"We went looking for you…when you didn't return…" Ron began.

"Remus sent us back…said you were with Dumbledore…" Hermione filled in.

"We talked to Sirius too…" Ginny said.

"You stayed in the office rooms again?" Ron asked.

"What about Lucius?

"…and the Changs?

"Where is Draco?"

"Guys!" Harry said loudly, cutting them off. "Calm down…I'll tell you what happened.

"Well we know about you running into Lucius," Hermione explained. "Remus told us that much. We went to look for you and a few students near the great hall told us you and Draco had gone by a few moments earlier carrying someone…towards the headmaster's office. But just as we reached the gargoyle Remus came out. He told us what he knew, but not to go up right then, because Dumbledore needed to speak with you, and that the Changs had arrived."

"We also talked to Sirius," Ron continued. "We ran into him after dinner and he told us something had happened with the Changs…but he looked very upset…he wasn't paying much attention to our questions, and wouldn't tell us anything else. When we went to see Dumbledore he told us both you and Draco would be staying there, and we'd see you in the morning."

"Well then you know most of what happened," Harry said, feeling a bit relieved at not having to explain everything. "C'mon," he went on, motioning for them to get up. "I barely ate anything at all yesterday and I'm starved. I'll tell you the rest downstairs."

"I really don't trust those Inquisitors," Hermione spoke softly, a calculating expression on her face. Harry had filled them in on everything they didn't already know from the events of the previous day, and was now eating ravenously from the plate in front of him. The four friends sat together at the far end of the Gryffindor table in the great hall.

"Me either," Ron added firmly. "They don't seem to be doing what they came here to do."

"Well they give me the creeps," Ginny began tentatively, "but they've only just arrived. And if Lucius really was introduced to them then the Inquisitors wouldn't have any reason to send someone after him, right? So we just have to hope he was the only death eater that happened with."

"Well we can't just leave it at that…we have to be sure," Ron said

"Unless Saaneeraa takes it upon herself to step forward and admit to everything, I don't see there being much chance of us knowing for sure…" Ginny said dismally.

"Maybe the Inquisitors could tell us…" Ron suggested.

"If they could talk," Harry spoke up, between forkfuls of mashed potatoes.

"Well how do they tell someone when there's an intruder then?" Hermione asked. "They must be able to communicate somehow!"

"They lead the person to the intruder," Harry replied, "That's what Dumbledore said, at least."

"Well, then Marzia really was lying to you that night," Hermione said. "Because from what you told us, she showed up in the observatory by herself. If she'd really been notified by and Inquisitor of an intruder, shouldn't they have been there too?"

"You're right," Harry said, thoughtfully. "She was there alone, and when Mel and I left, we didn't pass any Inquisitors."

"Are you sure Dumbledore told you everything?" Ginny asked. "Because if there's another way they can communicate…"

"I'm never sure of that anymore," Harry replied, shaking his head and lowering his eyes. "But the way he said it made me think that was it. The only way they could warn someone was to show them where the threat was."

"Then we need to find out more about them…" Hermione said, her brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Well we could always ask Dumbledore," Ron began, "or Cole…or Gazten even…"

"Yes but they're still only going to tell us just what they want us to know…" Hermione said. "And I can't remember ever reading anything on the Inquisitors…"

"Then that right there is a sure sign there's nothing written on them," Ron joked, grinning at his girlfriend. Hermione narrowed her eyes, a sardonic expression on her face.

"Yeah, Ron has a point," Harry joined in, smirking across the table at his friend.

"Why do I put up with you two?" Hermione asked, lifting her gaze to the ceiling and shaking her head disapprovingly, but she couldn't keep the small grin on her face hidden.

"Because you love us," Ron answered, grinning a bit too widely at her.

"And," Harry continued, his expression matching Ron's, "because you have no other choice, it'd be even worse if you tried to ignore us."

"That I believe," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, but she was smiling with them just the same.

"Okay, seriously though," Harry went on, "do you think we might find something on the Inquisitors? I kinda feel the ministry might not have wanted anything printed on them either…just like the Zlam."

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "The Zlam are feared by the ministry, and they keep their information on them very guarded. But it sounds like more people know about Faerun, and how it was blocked off all those years ago. I mean it's still something of a secret, as they don't teach about it, or at least they haven't yet. But I feel it might be easier to find information about them…" she trailed off, pausing for a moment, "though I'm sure, it'd be in the restricted section if it's in our library at all."

"Well," Harry said. "We might be able to get in there a bit easier this time."

"How?" Ginny asked, her puzzled expression matching Ron and Hermione's.

"Sirius doesn't seem to like Cole, Allison or the Inquisitors," Harry began. "And even though he doesn't have the authority to give us a pass, since he isn't a professor, he could probably talk Remus into giving us one. If we tell him we're trying to find out as much as we can about the Inquisitors, I bet he'd go to Remus straight away, he wants to know just as much as we do."

"Well, let's go then!" Hermione said, standing up.

"Right now?" Ron asked.

"Yes right now," Hermione said insistently. "The sooner we know about these Inquisitors the better."

"Hermione's right, Ron," Harry said, standing up as well. "I really don't want to wait any longer than we have to. And we don't even know how long it'll take us to find the information, if we're allowed in at all."

"I should've known we'd be spending time in the library before this break was over." Ron said glumly. "We can never seem to go through any holiday without it."

"Oh stop complaining," Hermione said lightly as the four of them made their way towards the doors. "Just think of all that homework you've been putting off this whole time. Going to the library is the only way you'll get any of it done, as you always seem to let yourself get distracted in the common room."

"It's winter break Hermione!" Ron said exasperatedly. "You're not supposed to spend it doing homework!"

"I didn't spend it doing homework," she grinned, smugly. "Mine is all finished. We do have N.E.W.T.'S this year, remember? You really should start…"

"Yes, yes, I know," Ron cut her off, laughing a bit. "You don't have to remind me any more than you already have. I heard you the first eight hundred times."

"I didn't say it eight hundred times," Hermione muttered indignantly as they walked through the halls. Ron chuckled at her expression before reaching over and slipping an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him and kissing her forehead gently, as he always did. Harry watched his friends, feeling a pang of sadness run through him, but shook it off quickly. He walked a few paces ahead of them, next to Ginny, in search of Sirius.

"Do you think he'd be in Dumbledore's office?" Ginny asked quietly as they moved through the empty corridors.

"I don't know," Harry replied with a shrug. "That's where he was last time I saw him, but that was a few hours ago. He could be anywhere now."

"Should we try the office at least?" Ginny asked.

"Probably not," Harry answered, thoughtfully. "I mean, we're only doing this to get into the restricted section of the library. Saying that in front of Dumbledore will most likely end any chance of it happening."

"So where should we look then?" Ron spoke up from behind them.

"Let's check Remus' office first," Harry answered. "Even if we don't find Sirius maybe Remus will know where he is."

"Well, it's as good a place as any to start," Hermione said. The four of them continued through the halls talking quietly, until they reached Professor Lupin's office. The door was closed but Harry could see a light shining underneath the crack, and muffled voices could be heard, but they didn't sound pleasant.

Harry turned to his friends, and saw they heard it too.

"Should I knock?" he whispered.

"Let's just come back," Hermione said.

"Who is that other voice?" Ron asked, leaning closer.

"We can ask Remus later!" Hermione whispered loudly, tugging on Ron's arm. "C'mon let's just go."

"Yes, please," Ginny agreed, nodding.

"What if he's in trouble?" Harry asked, his eyes widening as the thought suddenly occurred to him. Without another moment's hesitation, he raised his hand and rapped on the door loudly, before grasping the handle and pushing it open forcefully.

Remus and Cole were standing in the center of the room, both seeming a bit more than angry, but their attention was now directed at the entrance, where Harry and his friends stood, staring in at the scene.

Clearing his throat softly, Remus took a step back from Cole, who he had been standing quite close to, before speaking.

"Hello Harry," he nodded, "Ron, Hermione, Ginny, is there something you needed? Cole and I were just finishing…"

"This discussion is not finished," Cole said pointedly, bringing Remus' glare back upon him.

"We're sorry, very sorry," Hermione said quickly. "We can come back if…"

"No, you can stay," Remus interrupted loudly, while keeping his eyes locked with Cole's. "Please, come in. Cole was just leaving."

"This is very important Remus," Cole said fiercely. "You must consider…"

"There is nothing to consider," Remus said, cutting him off curtly. "My answer is no, end of discussion," his expression grew darker as Cole opened his mouth to speak again. "I will not be changing my mind," he said slowly, annunciating each syllable. "Now if you'll excuse me, it appears there are some students that need my assistance."

Cole stared intently at Remus, his eyes flashing with anger, but he did not reply. Nodding stiffly, he turned and moved towards the door, stopping just in front of Harry.

"We are going to start your training differently than I had originally planned," Cole began briskly. "I will speak with you about it first thing tomorrow morning…early."

Harry didn't have any chance to reply, before Cole strode past him and his friends, and stalked off down the dark hall.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked, turning back to Remus when Cole was out of sight.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Remus answered in a tone that clearly stated he was not going to discuss it. "Please, come inside, have a seat. Was there something you needed to talk about?"

"Actually," Harry began as the four friends filed into the office, "we were looking for Sirius. I wasn't sure if you might know where he is…"

"He could be anywhere in the school right now Harry," Remus laughed. "Did you check the map?"

Harry had to clamp his teeth to stop his jaw from dropping. How could he not have thought of that? Glancing at his friends, he saw they all looked equally shocked.

"No…" he replied sheepishly. "I didn't even think to look…"

"Hey," Remus said, seeing Harry begin to blush, "It's perfectly alright, you can still check it when you go back upstairs," he smiled, before turning and crossing the room to his desk. Filing quickly through some loose paperwork, he glanced up at the students again. "Is there something maybe I can help you with?"

Harry exchanged brief glances with his friends, who all nodded, before replying.

"We were actually going to find Sirius so he might speak with you…we wanted to see if you would give us a pass to the restricted section in the library."

"What for?" Remus asked pleasantly, "And why would you need Sirius to ask me for you?" He laughed.

"We wanted to see what we could find on the Inquisitors," Hermione replied, stepping forward.

"Since Sirius doesn't like them…" Harry started, trailing off.

"You thought he might…convince me?" Remus finished, not really asking, a knowing expression on his face.

"Yes," Harry grinned, trying to shrug it off. "It's only because…"

"Yes," Remus said, pulling open the top draw of his desk and pulling out a thick pad.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You can have a pass, all of you," Remus answered. "And any chance I get I'll be doing the exact same thing. I want to know more about our mysterious visitors, and what we're not being told."

The four Gryffindors exchanged excited glances.

"Here," Remus said, handing each of them a slip of paper. "Show that to Madam Pince, she'll let you get whatever you need out of the restricted section with those. Just make sure to take extra care with anything you get from there."

"We will," Hermione promised.

"Thank you Remus," Harry said, taking the slip and putting it in his pocket.

Remus smiled faintly.

"Don't mention it, just make sure you make use of those passes. And Harry," he went on, his expression growing serious. "If Cole says or does anything strange, I don't care how small you think it is, I want you to tell me, got it? Anything at all. Promise me."

Harry met Remus' gaze fixedly, seeing the sincerity in his eyes.

"I promise," he answered, nodding.

"Good," Remus replied, the smile returning to his face. He raised his hand, patting Harry on the back as the students turned to leave, all of them thanking him again. They stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind them, and began walking through the corridors, all the while talking avidly about what they had just seen.

"What do you suppose they were fighting about?" Ron asked as the four friends made their way towards the library.

"I don't know," Harry said, shaking his head slowly. "But it sounded like Cole wanted something…or needed something, from Remus."

"What though?" Ginny asked.

"What does Remus have that Cole might need?" Hermione spoke up as well.

"Or maybe it's not something he owns, but something he has access to," Harry said.

"It could be that Cole wanted Remus to do something," Ron suggested. "Though what, I don't know…"

"Maybe, but why just him?" Hermione asked. "Is Remus the only person Cole has asked this to…whatever it was he wanted…or are there others? Maybe he's talking to all the Professors…"

"I don't know," Harry said, not sounding as if he believed that. "From what it looked like, Cole wanted something from Remus, whether it requires him to actually take part in something or just lend him something I don't know…but I got the impression Remus was the only one who could help him. If any professor could do it, why would be look so angry when Remus said no?"

"Well maybe he needs all of them for it to work," Ron said.

"I think we need to find out what 'it' is," Ginny spoke up. "Then we can figure out who he'd need and why they might not want to do it."

"Well Remus isn't going to be sharing that information with us," Hermione said. "He cut us off from that discussion as soon as Cole left…"

"And we can't just go around asking all the instructors if Cole's talked to them," Ron added.

"Or it might get back to Remus…" Harry finished for him with a sigh. "Look, let's concentrate on finding information about the Inquisitors now," he went on quietly, as they neared the library entrance at last. The four of them pushed through the double doors into the utter silence beyond, and walked quietly up to the desk where Madam Pince was seated. She lifted her gaze as the four students stopped in front of her.

"Yes?" she asked in a low voice, looking at each of them in turn. "What can I do for you?"

"Professor Lupin gave us these," Hermione began, handing her pass over to the librarian. The other three did the same and Madam Pince's eyes widened as she examined them carefully. She turned each one over in her hands, inspecting every last inch of the paper, as if expecting to detect some flaw to prove they were forged. After several long, drawn-out minutes, she finally looked back up at the students before her.

"A special assignment from Professor Lupin, ey?" she asked suspiciously. "Anything in particular that you're looking for?"

"No," Harry spoke up immediately before any of his friends could reply. "No our research is very broad for this assignment," he went on calmly.

Madam Pince raised one eyebrow, fixing Harry with a skeptical look, but as nothing was wrong with the passes, she had no choice but to grant them admission. Standing slowly, she moved out from behind her desk, and led them towards the restricted section.

"Why didn't you tell her what we were looking for?" Ron asked in a hushed voice as the four students walked silently among the towering shelves of books. "It'll take us forever to find it this way…"

"Because Ron, we don't want this getting back to Dumbledore," Harry replied. He noticed Madam Pince glancing up at them from back at her desk every few seconds, knowing she suspected they were up to something, but not knowing what. "All Madam Pince knows is Remus gave us the passes to get in here. If anything, she'll ask him what's going on. But if I mentioned Faerun, she might go to Dumbledore, and he'll know what we're doing. If there is anything on the Inquisitors in here, you can bet he knows about it, and if he really doesn't want us finding it, it won't matter how many passes Remus gives us, we won't be able to find anything."

"Do you really think Dumbledore would hide anything from you, though?" Ginny asked, pulling a large dusty book from the shelf closest to her and brushing it off. "I mean, I know he has in the past…but what's happening now seems too important for him to do something like that."

"The thing is," Harry began, coming to a stop and turning to face her, his expression becoming dark and serious. "I don't know what to believe anymore. We already know Sirius was able to be controlled, then yesterday with the smoke, whoever did it was able to make it so no one saw it. Dumbledore, Remus and Cole were all standing right outside that office, but no one knew anything was wrong until I broke the window. If Saaneeraa is powerful enough to control Dumbledore…then yes I believe he might not be telling us everything."

"But when Sirius was being controlled," Hermione spoke quietly, "it was very obvious. He acted nothing like he normally would. I haven't noticed Dumbledore's behavior change much from what it normally is…except that he seems more worried now…" she trailed off.

"Look," Harry began, his tone a bit lighter. "I don't know anything for certain. I'm probably being paranoid; there may be no real reason to hide this from Dumbledore at all. The truth is, we asked Remus for passes and he gave them to us, so we're not breaking any rules. We may find nothing on the Inquisitors. But I want to be sure. Maybe there's something Dumbledore doesn't know…it's not as if he hasn't had to research things in the past…or maybe what he told me is all there is to it."

"I guess you're right," Ron said slowly. "Better not to tell for now…"

"But if we find anything…" Hermione began, intervening.

"We'll go straight to Dumbledore," Harry finished for her. Hermione nodded her agreement, as did the others. The four of them then split up, each taking a different section, in search of any information on Inquisitors.

The next morning, Harry felt himself being shaken awake roughly. He groaned miserably, trying to turn over on his side, but whoever was standing over him was quite persistent.

"Harry let's go!" the person whispered loudly. "I told you yesterday I'd be here early."

"Cole?" Harry asked in a raspy whisper, lifting his head from the pillow and squinting in an effort to see.

"Yes it's me," Cole replied quickly. "Now c'mon, you and I need to talk, so outta bed with you. Get dressed and meet me down in the common room."

Harry pushed himself up slowly into a sitting position as the sound of Cole's footsteps retreated across the room, and reached for his glasses, looking up just in time to see the door close gently. Yawning loudly, he reached up, stretching as hard as he could, before bringing his hands back down and trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Last night had come up empty. He and his friends had spent the remainder of the day searching through countless numbers of books, and only once did any of them even mention Faerun, but it turned out to be of no help, and the Inquisitors weren't talked about at all. He'd expected as much, however. The research they were doing was blind. They had no one to point them in the right direction, but they weren't going to give up.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Harry pushed himself forward and forced himself to stand. He wondered why he was so tired, as even with all the work in the library they'd still had to leave when Madam Pomfrey locked it for the night, and he had fallen asleep relatively soon afterwards. Looking towards the window, however, he got his answer. The sun hadn't risen yet, not even the haze just before it could be seen. Grabbing his watch from the bedside table, he found it was just shy of four in the morning. Shaking his head, wishing Cole had specified what he meant when he'd said early, he moved to his closet and grabbed a shirt and some pants. Changing quickly, he threw his wand in his pocket along with his watch, and left the dorm.

"I told you I'd be here early," Cole said, smiling knowingly as he saw Harry shuffle into the common room.

"I d-d-…didn't know you meant this early," Harry replied, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Well now you know," Cole laughed. "C'mon, let's go." He motioned for Harry to follow him and started towards the portrait hole.

"Where?" Harry asked. "I thought we were going to start with the crystals…"

"No, I said we were going to talk about how your training is going to start," Cole corrected him as they stepped through into the hallway. "We're going to meet up with Allison, and the three of us can talk."

"Oh," Harry replied, a bit confused. "Then why…"

"So early?" Cole finished for him, startling Harry a bit. "Because Allison and I still have much work to do, especially now that we're going to be changing things. And I still have to work a great deal more with Draco, he is far from finished with his own training."

"So, when will I be starting then?" Harry asked looking around, suddenly realizing the path they were taking would bring them into the dungeon area. "And where exactly are we going?" he added, trying not to sound nervous. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust Cole, but he didn't know him all that well.

"As Allison is acting potions master at this time," Cole explained, "she uses Professor Snape's office for the time being. She's waiting for us there right now. As for when you'll be starting, we will be discussing that, just be patient a bit longer."

Harry simply nodded; feeling a bit annoyed with himself over getting worried, and followed Cole silently through the long corridors.

When they reached Snape's office, Cole knocked lightly, and pushed the door open quickly. Harry followed him in and saw Allison sitting at the desk, looking over some papers. She glanced up as they entered and sat back.

"Running late, are we?" she asked Cole with a wry grin.

"Don't blame me," he replied raising an eyebrow. "Sleeping beauty here wouldn't get up," he laughed, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Harry.

"Sorry," Harry apologized with a grin. "I didn't realize when Cole said early that he meant before the sun rises…my mistake…it won't happen again."

"Don't apologize Harry," Allison said with a wave of her hand, leaning slightly forward, she put a hand up to the side of her mouth and lowered her voice "Cole has a bad habit of being a bit vague at times…"

"I heard that. And it's Uncle Cole to you, thank you very much," Cole said stiffly, but he was grinning just the same. "Now, we didn't all get up before dawn to joke around, so let's get down to business. Harry," he said motioning towards an empty chair, "have a seat, won't you?"

Harry lowered himself into the chair, which was on the opposite side of the desk from Allison, as Cole took the one next to him.

"So here's what's going to happen," Cole began immediately. "We are still going to prepare a training session for you, in which you will use all the crystals at once. However, as you have had no experience thus far in using them, we decided it would be best to not thrust you in full force, but to let you become a bit more familiar with each stone beforehand."

"Okay," Harry replied, feeling slightly anxious, but waiting to hear more.

"When you called on the crystals the other day," Cole continued, his expression remaining even, "you found one whose voice matched your own, correct?"

"Yes," Harry nodded; still a bit embarrassed about that incident, but Cole didn't seem to be quite as upset about it any longer.

"Which one?" Cole asked.

"The courage crystal."

"I thought it might be," Cole replied. "It was the same one you did so well with during the introduction process, correct? The one you most closely related to."

Harry nodded, again.

"Then you can leave that one alone for now. We will start you with one of the others. Basically, what you're going to be doing, is calling on one crystal at a time, not all fourteen of them like the other morning, and becoming acquainted with each of them in turn. If it talks, it will most likely be to suggest you do something, to take some sort of action; do not always follow what it is advising you to do. It is essentially a second conscience for you, but a biased one. It has only one point of view, as you know, and all it is doing is giving you a thought you already have, but it that may go unnoticed if your other feelings are stronger. So for example, I'm going to use the liar crystal. If you are in a situation where someone, an instructor let's say, is asking you a question, one you don't want to answer, the liar crystal will discern that immediately. It will start feeding you suggestions, all of which are your own, as it is a part of you, but without the crystal you might normally pay little attention to these thoughts, as I know it is not your natural reaction to lie to the professors."

Harry felt a small rush of guilt, knowing that was not always the case as of late, but didn't say anything.

"Another example," Allison spoke up, "would be the fear crystal, in any situation it will most likely advise you to retreat, and while I know all too well how often you ignore that feeling when you get it, the fear crystal will try to make it harder to do so. In time, you will be able to hear what each crystal has to say, and use the advice, as you choose, to make your decisions. It was simply too overwhelming for you to do it all at once, which is what happened the other day."

"About that," Harry spoke up, towards Cole, not sure he really wanted to keep the subject going but too curious to let it go, "You said what I did was dangerous…and I believe you…but I don't see how. It was painful, yes, but as soon as you told Draco what to tell me, everything was fine. What would have happened if you didn't show up?"

"The crystals want to be used, Harry," Cole began seriously, "Moreover, they know you are not yet accustomed to utilizing their powers. If you take on too many of them at once, without being able to control them, they can use you. In a way you could call it, taking over your mind, and therefore, your body. You were fighting this from happening without realizing it, and that is what caused the pain you felt. When you are using the crystals the way we're going to start you on them, you will feel compelled to do exactly what they suggest. After what will hopefully be only a short period of time, you will be able to take their suggestions just as you would any regular thoughts that cross your mind, and brush aside the ones you don't want to use."

"I think I understand," Harry said, feeling confident he did, though also a bit startled at finding out what had actually almost happened to him. "Is that all they do though? Give suggestions?"

Cole smirked dryly at Harry.

"Trust me, that is far from the limit of their powers. But now you see why it is important we start you off like this, if they had been able to take you, not even Draco would've be able to reach you, you would have been lost to us forever, your body merely an instrument for them to control. A most unstoppable instrument."

Harry shuddered involuntarily, wondering briefly, seeing as how the crystals were, after all, magnified slivers of his own personality, if they would have gone after Voldemort. Shaking the thought from his head, he turned his attention back to Cole.

"When am I going to start?"

"I'm going to give it a few more days, at Dumbledore's request. Once classes have begun again, and you're back in the swing of things, we'll choose a date to begin. You can start with any crystal, except courage, you already have a strong enough bond with that one, it listens and obeys your commands."

"And then?" Harry asked. "When will the next part of training begin? What will I be doing?"

"That's all dependant on how long it takes you with this first exercise," Allison answered. "You have thirteen crystals to go through, and we want to make sure each of them is fully under your control before we go any further. As for what you will be doing in the second half of this training, we cannot say. You will see when the time comes."

Harry nodded, both anxious to begin his training, and glad he had a few days at least before doing so.

"So," Cole started, bringing Harry's attention back to him, "I believe that's it for now, we'll see after school starts up again exactly when we can start…"

"Actually," Harry cut in, tentatively. "There's something I'd like to ask you…if that's alright…"

"Sure," Cole said, nodding. "What's on your mind?"

"Ah…well, a few things…actually," Harry began. "I guess the first being…what happened yesterday…between you and Remus?"

"That, I'm afraid," Cole said apologetically, "is exactly why I can't answer you, it's between Professor Lupin and I."

Harry nodded, expecting as much.

"Okay…I guess my next question is about the other day…when I was in the office with the Changs. Do you know much about the black smoke? Marzia said it was Faerunian magic…"

"It is," Cole replied. I understand she's used it once, correct? Against some dementors in Hogsmeade…"

"Right," Harry replied. "She's the only person I've ever seen use it actually."

"Well that doesn't mean anything right now," Cole replied, brushing the comment aside with a wave of his hand. "What with the entities loose, as well as many other creatures of Faerun, even Allison and myself can use that particular spell. It is neither uncommon nor hard to learn."

"Do you think it was Marzia?" Harry asked, unable to help himself.

"I don't know," Cole answered evenly, shaking his head. "Though after hearing all you had to say the other night, I must admit I think it's a good idea to watch her closely."

Harry nodded, before continuing.

"Is the smoke…well…afraid, I guess…of wands?" he asked uncertainly.

"Afraid?" Cole repeated, his brow furrowing. "How do you mean?"

"Well, like I said the other night, I was stuck in the corner, surrounded by the smoke, and I found out right away that it was best not to touch it, but the part of the smoke near my wand seemed to keep its distance. It was the only way I was able to escape…" he trailed off, glancing from Cole to Allison, who were both looking at one another, their expressions unreadable.

"Yes," Cole answered curtly after a moment. "I guess you could say…the smoke is afraid of wands."

Harry didn't let the expression on his face change, and nodded at Cole's response, but every instinct he had told him Cole was lying. He didn't know why there would be any reason to keep the truth from him about this, but he was certain that's what Cole was doing.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry blinked, glancing up; he had been lost in thought. Cole was staring at him intently.

"Hmm?"

"Is something wrong? You seemed a bit…distant…for a moment there."

"No, I'm fine," Harry answered convincingly. "This is just all so new to me…sorry."

"Don't worry, perfectly alright," Cole replied, a small smile returning to his face, but never taking letting his gaze drop, keeping his eyes locked with Harry's.

"I…eh…I had one other question…" Harry stammered, trying to change the subject. "Can Draco and I hurt each other?"

"What?" Cole asked, obviously not expecting that particular inquiry. "No, actually…why do you ask?"

Harry shook his head, somewhat unwilling to answer.

"We had a fight, actually, a few nights ago…and neither of us realized we were…um…bleeding…"

He glanced up, surprised to see Cole chuckling softly.

"That isn't too much of a shock, really. After all I've heard about the two of you…you felt the blows though, correct?"

"Yes…but the pain lasted barely a second. And like I said…I had no idea I was bleeding until Hermione told me…Draco didn't seem to either."

"I guess you two will just have to settle things by talking them through from now on," Allison spoke up, smiling.

"I guess so," Harry shrugged, grinning. He felt a bit awkward being there now, and hoped he could end the conversation and go. "That was it…really. That was all I had to ask."

"Well you can always come to either of us whenever you have any more," Cole said, meeting Harry's gaze. "Please don't hesitate if you're ever unsure, that's the reason we're here."

"I won't," Harry replied, standing up.

"Well, then I guess we're done here." Cole said, standing as well. "Go enjoy the remainder of your holidays Harry, I'll come speak with you again when classes have begun."

Harry thanked both Cole and Allison, before turning and letting himself out of the office. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was still too early for anyone to be awake, but decided to head back towards the tower anyway. Moving quickly, he made his way through the dark halls.

Harry had barely made it out of the dungeon area, when he saw something moving towards him from the opposite end of the hall. A very small something. He stopped for a moment, unsure what to do, staring intently at the hunched creature, shuffling along with its eyes on the floor, and could hardly believe it when he recognized who it was.

"Dobby?" he called out, uncertainly, moving towards him quickly. "Is that you?"

Dobby glanced up miserably, but quickly lowered his gaze, shaking his head.

"Dobby should not be speaking with Mr. Harry Potter, sir," the small house elf whispered as Harry neared him. "Dobby is ashamed of hiself."

"Why?" Harry asked in concern, kneeling down so he could see into the house elf's eyes, but Dobby refused to meet his gaze, and stared fixedly at the floor. "It's not still over what happened…back in the guest quarters, is it?"

"Dobby is leaving Hogwart's, Harry Potter, sir," he said, ignoring Harry's question. "Dobby is going away."

"What? No!" Harry said abruptly, startling the poor elf. "Sorry," he went on, forcing himself to sound calm. "Please, talk to me Dobby…why do you want to leave?"

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter" Dobby spoke in a small shaky voice. "Sorry he could not help when he was needed…"

"I don't understand," Harry said evenly. "You've always helped me…"

Dobby shook his head dejectedly.

"Dobby must go, Harry Potter, sir. Please can Dobby go?"

Harry looked long and hard into the house elf's sad eyes, realizing this was a true request. He wished he knew the real reason for his misery staring back at him and knew he had to find out.

"No," he said in a low voice, "No I don't want you to go. Please, I'm asking you to stay. For me."

"But Dobby has failed Harry Potter!" he wailed. "Dobby should not be allowed to stay!"

"Dobby," Harry said worriedly, "What have you failed at? If you'd just tell me…"

Dobby shook his head, almost fearfully, his eyes growing wide as he looked pleadingly up at Harry.

"Alright…it's okay," Harry spoke soothingly. "I'm not going to force you to tell me…but please, don't leave. I feel safer having you here."

"Harry Potter should not feel this way," Dobby muttered, looking at his feet. "But Dobby cannot leave, not if Harry Potter does not want him to."

"Is that why you came down here? To ask me if you could leave?" Harry asked.

Dobby nodded slowly.

"Yes, Dobby saw Harry Potter and the new man leave just as Dobby arrived at Harry Potter's tower."

"So you followed us?" Harry asked softly.

Dobby looked up quickly, appearing ready to apologize, but Harry held up his hand.

"I'm not mad, it's alright. I'm glad you did that, actually. I told you, I feel safer when you're around. I'm not going to make you stay if you don't want to. I'm asking you to stay…it's your choice."

Dobby seemed to consider everything Harry had just said, before nodding very faintly.

"Dobby will stay, as Harry Potter has asked," he mumbled, but his expression seemed to express only dread. Harry wanted very badly to know what was bothering the poor elf, but knew Dobby wouldn't tell, and the last thing he wanted right now was to make him feel any more uncomfortable than he already appeared.

Harry stood up slowly, smiling reassuringly at the house elf, but Dobby didn't return it.

"Will you walk back to the tower with me?" Harry asked, hopefully.

Dobby merely nodded, a far cry from his usual demeanor when asked to do anything by Harry. Together, the two of them made their way back up the corridor, and towards the Gryffindor tower.

The end of the holidays came quickly, and classes resumed as usual. Harry had spent the remainder of the break in the library for the most part. He had told his friends what had happened with Dobby, but no one had much of an idea as to what could be bothering him so badly, and they were putting too much effort into their research to worry much about it.

There was still no change in the Changs' condition, and it became very clear that the only way of reviving them, would be to find who had attacked them in the first place. Harry felt sure it was Marzia, but as she'd surely never admit to anything, he could do nothing about it. She was already under close watch; all he could hope was that somewhere along the line, she'd slip up.

One of the high points on the first day of classes had happened during breakfast. Dumbledore had called for everyone's attention, and announced that the quidditch season would indeed continue. He laid out the same rules he'd given Harry in the office over the break, and in no time at all, the great hall was buzzing with excitement. It didn't matter that there would be strict regulations and the practices would be shortened, the fact was everyone needed this.

The first week of classes seemed to breeze right by, and as potions was letting out, the last class before the weekend, Allison called on Harry, asking him to stay after so she could speak with him.

A few Slytherins snickered tauntingly at him as they made their way towards the door, all expecting he was in trouble for something. Draco's expression remained blank, however, knowing that was most likely not the case. He left the room silently, Crabbe and Goyle at his heels, not even glancing at Harry. Ron and Hermione told him they'd wait out in the hall, before exiting the classroom as well.

"How's your first week back?" Allison asked cheerfully, standing beside the desk and piling up the books she had used during the lesson. "Are you doing alright?"

"Everything's fine," Harry shrugged with a grin as he stopped a few feet away. "I'm doing fine."

"Glad to hear it," Allison replied. "And that being the case, so long as you feel you're ready, Cole and I would like to get you started right away with your training."

"Great," Harry said, nodding. "Yes, please, I'm ready. When do we start?"

"You know Cole," Allison laughed. "He likes to do things early. He'll be there tomorrow morning to begin, and walk you through it."

"Early, ey?" Harry smirked. "Alright then," he sighed, "I'll be ready."

"Good," Allison replied with a grin. "I'll be sure to let him know."

Harry thanked her quickly, before heading out into the hall to tell his friends the news.

"Maybe one of us should get up when you do," Hermione began, "for the training…" The three students were on their way back to their tower from the potions classroom.

"Well, you can't really do anything," Harry said. "Why would you want to sit around and watch?"

"Harry, Cole lied to you about the smoke and your wand, you said he did," Hermione said in a hushed voice, looking around as if expecting someone to be listening.

"That's right, I think he did," Harry replied. "But I don't know why. What I do know is that Cole is here to help me learn to use the crystals. If he were here for any other reason I doubt he'd have let it get this far."

"I think that depends on what the other reason might be," Hermione said curtly.

"I'm not going to wake either of you up for this lesson," Harry said with finality. "I'll tell you how it went when it's over."

Hermione looked like she wanted to argue, but Ron put out a hand, touching her arm, and shook his head faintly.

"You can't tell me you think it's a good idea for him to be alone with Cole…" Hermione began quietly, looking intently at Ron. Harry walked a few paces ahead of them, but could still hear their voices.

"I do think so, actually," Ron whispered back. "If Cole wanted Harry dead he's had about a million chances to…"

"What if he doesn't want him dead?" Hermione asked, cutting him off. "What if it's something else entirely?"

"Like what?" Ron asked, sounding exasperated.

"Well…I don't know…" Hermione began, not prepared to answer the question. "But if we just let it go…"

"I'm not saying let it go," Ron interrupted, calmly. "I'm saying not to make something of this until we know more. Think about it…if one of us tried to join Harry for his training tomorrow, Cole would want to know why…and something tells me he'd want a good reason. We can't tell him it's because we think he lied to Harry a week and a half ago now, can we? Wait until we know more."

Hermione sighed softly.

"Alright…you're right. He'd never let us come without a reason. But I still don't like it."

Harry listened to his friends' discussion, a small smile on his face, as he heard them finish quietly, before speeding up to join him.

"Now that that's settled," he said, rolling his eyes.

"You were listening, weren't you?" Hermione asked, shaking her head disapprovingly, but grinning.

"Can I help it if I have good hearing?" Harry asked, smiling widely at her. "Besides, Ron's right. I really don't think we have anything to worry about when it comes to Cole. He may have a temper…but that doesn't mean he's working against us."

"I hope you're right," Hermione said as they reached the portrait hole at last. They dropped off their schoolbooks and met up with Ginny, before heading down to the great hall for dinner, no one making any further mention of Cole.

Harry made sure to get to bed early that night, so by the next morning when Cole came to wake him, he was able to be stirred easily enough. Glancing towards the window as he put his glasses on, he was glad to see that at least this time the sun had already begun to rise. Getting out of bed and changing quickly, Harry slipped silently out of the room and down the stairs, to where Cole was waiting for him in the common room, with the trunk of crystals.

"Ready?" Cole asked with a grin, levitating the chest in front of him.

"Where to?" Harry asked as they stepped through the portrait hole.

"Since the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom worked out fine last time, we'll use it again."

"Were you actually there last time? Harry asked.

Cole nodded.

"Yes, I had to be. Allison is very capable, but I couldn't let her alone to help you through your introduction."

"Where were you though? I didn't see you anywhere…"

"Because I didn't want you to," Cole replied, smirking, but not explaining any further.

The two of them walked the rest of the way in silence, and when they reached the classroom, Cole immediately set the trunk down. Harry shut the door behind him and crossed to where Cole stood, waiting.

"Alright then, let's get right to it, shall we? Open the trunk."

Harry nodded, and lowered himself until he was at eyelevel with the keyhole, and unlocked the chest. As the lid lifted ever so slowly, Cole knelt down beside Harry.

"Now, the first step here, is to choose a crystal to start. As I said, you won't be working with the courage crystal for now, because you already have a close enough bond with it. Initially I was going to have you start with resolve, but from what I've seen, that might not be the best way to go. So instead, you're going to begin your training, with the fear crystal."

Harry nodded, listening, waiting for Cole to continue.

"Everyone gets scared sometimes, so you won't have a problem in relating to the crystal, whether it be from a memory in your past, to something that's yet to happen in your future. However, since it is the emotion you try to fight off more than any other, you will be able to learn how to disregard any suggestions it gives to you much easier. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Harry repeated, nodding.

"Perfect," Cole said with a nod. "Alright, here's what you're going to do…"

"You have to find the fear crystal," Cole said, looking at Harry.

"How?" Harry asked. "I've only ever been able to tell them apart by the color they change…do I have to go through each one again?"

"You don't have to lift each one up, no," Cole smiled. "Put your hand right here," he went on, demonstrating by holding his own hand barely two inches above the first crystal in line. Harry did as he was told and waited for Cole to go on.

"Now just watch," Cole said.

Harry stared intently at the crystal, waiting. Less than fifteen seconds had passed, when it began to glow a bright gold underneath his hand.

"Now, "Cole went on, "Slide your hand over the others, until you see the fear crystal."

Harry did just that, until he came to a stone that glowed a deep green, and stopped, letting his hand hover above it.

"There," he said, keeping his eyes on the gem.

"Pick it up," Cole said.

Harry grasped the stone tightly, lifting it gently out of the chest, and held it out in front of him. The other stones had begun whispering, just as they had the last time he'd opened the trunk, and he looked questioningly at Cole.

"Do you hear it?" he asked quietly.

Cole furrowed his brow and glanced from Harry to the stones and back.

"Hear what?"

"They're talking again…but too fast, I can't make it out…"

"It's your thoughts," Cole explained. "You're hearing your thoughts…but split up by personality. You won't be able to understand them unless you're actually joined with them, which is what you're going to do right now with that one," he said, pointing at the stone in Harry's hand. "Ready?"

"Yes," Harry nodded, confidently.

"Good, now…relax your body, exactly as you must have done last time, for the courage crystal. Simply let any stress go, don't think of anything upsetting…don't think of anything at all…just let your mind go blank, and take deep breaths."

Harry listened to Cole's voice, though he didn't need to. He remembered exactly how he'd done it last time, and only found it easier to do now. Barely any time passed at all, when the crystal shattered in Harry's grasp, and a shimmering, deep green mist surrounded him.

Harry smiled as the haze floated lazily in the air around him, and turned his attention to Cole, having another question, when he heard a voice.

Do you really think it's safe to stay with him? He lied to you…

Yes, Harry replied, I know, but he's here to help.

Are you sure?

"Talking already, ey?" Cole's voice interrupted his thoughts, causing Harry to snap to attention.

"What? Oh…yeah."

"Remember what I said," Cole said firmly, a hint of warning in his tone. "You have to learn to listen to the crystal's advice, but choose on your own if you're going to follow it or not. Now this being the fear crystal, is only going to bring forward things that frighten you. It doesn't matter if it's something very big, or incredibly small…sometimes you'll find things you didn't even realize you were afraid of. It can see all your thoughts, as it is your thoughts, but things you may have forgotten, and are buried deep inside, can easily be brought back using these crystals."

Harry nodded, feeling the crystal's presence, but it had remained silent while Cole spoke.

"Can you see it?" he asked, suddenly. "The haze, I mean. It's just like last time…will it always be there?"

"Only you will be able to see it," Cole replied. "To everyone else it's invisible in this form. Just as when it speaks; only you can hear it. The only way others can see them is in gem form."

"I figured as much…" Harry said, "Just wanted to be sure…"

"Well any questions you have, don't think twice about asking them," Cole said with a grin.

"I won't," Harry assured him with a nod. "Believe me I won't." He watched momentarily as the mist swirled around him, before settling once again. He found it almost comforting, natural even, and was glad to finally be getting into his training. "So," he spoke up again, "what's next?"

"Now you simply go about your normal business," Cole replied. "I told you, we're starting off slow, and so you're just going to spend time adjusting to the crystals, and letting them do the same for you. You will release the crystal each night when you go to bed, and in the morning take it back again. I want you to hold onto the fear crystal for at least a week, before moving on to the next one, and I'll let you know at that time which it'll be."

"Wait, releasing it…" Harry said, uncertainly, "Will it listen to me? Because last time…"

"It will listen to you," Cole said, simply. "When it is only one crystal you cannot be overwhelmed. Simply tell it to withdraw, and it will. And of course, if you are having trouble, come to me at once."

"So then…all I'm doing, is making sure I have a crystal with me, wherever I go? That's it?"

"Yes…" Cole began, "and no. You see, even just now, when you first allowed the crystal in, it began talking to you immediately, and you were distracted. What we hope to accomplish is to have you be able to use the crystals with ease, being completely aware of their presence, and yet at the same time, giving the appearance that they aren't there at all. This whole exercise will be spread out so you can use all fourteen crystals so that you'll be more than ready before we put you up against anything."

"How long until that, do you think?" Harry asked, curiously.

"That, my boy, is all up to you," Cole said, standing up and smiling. "I'll be monitoring your progress throughout, and will tell you when it's time to move on to the next crystal. Until then, just do what you'd normally do."

Harry nodded, and stood up as well. Moving to the trunk, he closed the lid gently, hearing the lock click shut.

"Straight back to your dorm with that now, got it?" Cole asked, gesturing towards the chest.

"Believe me, that's exactly what I intend to do," Harry said as he brought out his wand. He lifted the trunk into the air, and said good-bye to Cole, before heading off through the corridors and back towards his tower.

Harry stepped into his dorm just as Ron was getting ready to go downstairs. Being Saturday, everyone was just waking up, having been able to sleep in for the first time in a week. Harry sighed, knowing at least he'd be able to do the same tomorrow, before setting his trunk down by his bed.

"Did the lesson go well?" Ron asked, waiting as Harry came back towards him. They both left the room and started downstairs together.

"It wasn't what you could call a lesson, really," Harry replied. They stepped into the common room and found Hermione and Ginny there, waiting for them.

"How did it go?" Hermione asked spotting them immediately as they made their way towards the corner and sat down.

Harry explained as quickly as he could what had happened that morning.

"So, it's with you right now?" Ron asked. "The fear crystal?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "All day, everyday from now on, until it's time to use a new one."

"And when it talked to you," Hermione said, "what did it say?"

"Well…it doesn't trust Cole…or doesn't think I should, at least."

"So that means you don't trust Cole…" Hermione said softly.

"Not exactly," Harry replied swiftly. "It means I'm worried, frightened even, on some level, knowing that he lied to me…it's only telling me I shouldn't trust him."

"Did it say anything else?" Ginny asked.

"No, not yet anyway," Harry replied with a shrug.

"Is the mist…or haze…whatever it is, is it annoying?" Ron asked. "You said you could see it all the time…"

"Actually…no," Harry replied, focusing once again on the translucent green fog still hovering near him. It had settled mostly into a small area near his torso while he sat, waiting, taking everything in. "It doesn't bother me at all," he spoke again, bringing his gaze back up to his friends.

"Hey," Ron spoke up again, now looking past Harry to something across the room. "What's going on over there?" The others all turned and saw a group of students crowded around something on the wall.

"You mean you didn't know." Hermione asked with a wry grin. "They posted the quidditch practice schedule…"

She never got to finish her sentence before Harry and Ron were out of their seats, exchanging large grins, and off to see the notice. Ginny stood as well, shrugging apologetically at Hermione, who sighed knowingly, before following the other two.

"We have to wait an entire week!" Ron cried in disgust as the three of them came back to the corner. "Why couldn't they let us go first and let Hufflepuff or Slytherin wait…?"

"Does it really matter?" Hermione asked. "Next week you'll be practicing and they won't…Dumbledore said it will all be very fair."

"I know," Ron sulked, "I just want to get back to practicing.

"We all do," Harry said. "Besides, at this point…what's one more week? It's not like we haven't been without it for the past few months anyway…"

"Exactly," Hermione nodded, before she stood up. "Now, I'm going downstairs to eat…you can feel free to join me, if you'd like…"

As soon as the words had left Hermione's mouth Harry felt his stomach rumble. Looking up, he saw both Ron and Ginny were also quite ready for breakfast. The four students stood together, and crossed the common room to the portrait hole, before stepping through and starting towards the great hall.

They entered the hall and took seats towards the far end of the Gryffindor table. As soon as they sat their plates filled up in front of them. They ate for a few moments in silence, all of them a bit too hungry to talk. After most of the food was gone, Hermione gently dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin, and cleared her throat.

"Well I guess we should head back to the library then…"

"Oh not again!" Ron groaned immediately. "We've been spending every spare second there!"

"Well we have to!" Hermione replied, annoyed. "How else will we find out about the Inquisitors?"

"It's just not there Hermione," Ron said, shaking his head, "we've searched for weeks…"

"And we've barely scratched the surface," she cut him off. "There are so many books that…"

"Exactly!" Ron interrupted loudly. "There are too many! We need someone to help us, Hermione. Or point us in the right direction at least…all this blind research is getting us nowhere! It's a waste of time! We don't even know if what we're looking for is there!"

"How else are we going to find out?" Hermione shot back.

"Guys!" Harry cut in before the argument could get any louder. "Look I think you're both right. We do need to keep looking…but a break wouldn't hurt either."

"But Harry…" Hermione began.

"Hermione, I'm not saying take a week off or anything," Harry continued quickly. "I just mean a little while…a few hours maybe."

"Even you must get tired of the library sometimes," Ron joked, smirking at his girlfriend.

Hermione just sighed quietly.

"You two do what you want, I'm heading to the library…" she said standing up.

"But Hermione," Ron said, standing as well, his smile fading.

"Ron, listen. I don't mind if you want to take a break…if you really need it, that's fine. But this is too important…we need to know about these things, and I don't want to stop looking for the information. Just come and join me when you're ready…"

"Are you mad?" Ron asked, clearly worried. Hermione looked at him evenly, before a small smile spread across her face.

"No, not mad, I know you too well Ron. Take your break…have your fun…and then come meet me, alright?"

Ron smiled widely, and leant down towards Hermione, giving her a quick kiss.

"Thanks," he said with a grin. She just shook her head, smiling, before starting towards the doors, on her way to the library. Harry and Ginny were still seated at the table, watching, and grinning.

"So," Ron said, very cheerfully, "how about a game of chess?"

"Um…" Harry began, glancing at Ginny, "but that's just for two…"

"I'll watch," Ginny said, smirking. "I can't play as well as either of you two anyway."

"Oh good, you get to watch me lose," Harry said as he stood up. The three of them made their way up to the tower, and Ron got his chess pieces together, but the common room was very crowded, and the table they liked to use to play on was occupied. So they made their way back down to the great hall, and set up at the Gryffindor table.

The game began, and almost immediately, Harry began losing pieces to Ron. It didn't seem to matter how often he practiced, Ron never failed to see the smallest openings that Harry left. He watched as Ron's pile grew larger, and his own barely seemed to grow at all.

They'd been sitting at the table for nearly an hour, and it was Harry's turn. He studied the board, but couldn't see any move that wouldn't cause him to lose yet another piece. He sighed inaudibly, raising his hand at last and reaching for his knight, when a voice from behind him spoke up.

"Not a good idea, that one."

Harry looked over his shoulder, to find Mel standing behind him.

"Mel!" he said happily. "Please, sit down…how long have you been there?"

Mel smiled as she took the empty seat next to Harry.

"Not long, only just walked in…Hi Ron, Ginny," she said, turning to Harry's friends and nodding at each of them.

"Hey Mel," Ron replied pleasantly, but Ginny barely returned the nod, a stiff expression on her face.

"So, you don't play often, do you?" Mel asked, turning to Harry again and glancing towards the chessboard as she spoke.

"Actually I've played quite a bit," Harry replied, grinning. "I just don't do well against Ron."

"Well, I wouldn't move your knight, unless you want to lose again…see?" she said pointing. Harry looked, realizing if he'd have done as he was going to, Ron's bishop would be free to checkmate his king.

"Now, if you move your rook," Mel continued, moving her finger across the board."

"Well then I lose him," Harry said, not seeing any advantage.

"Just trust me," Mel said, with a wink.

Harry just shook his head, not seeing any point in doing as she said, but it was after all, just a game. He pushed his rook into place, before glancing up at Ron.

"Your move," he said with a shrug.

Ron looked carefully at the board, a confused expression on his face. Apparently, he couldn't see any advantage to the move Mel had suggested to Harry either. After a few moments, and finding no real reason not to, Ron made his move, taking Harry's rook just as he knew would happen.

"Well thank you Mel," Harry said with a lopsided grin. "Now that I've managed to lose yet another piece and still…"

"Oh hush," Mel said, smiling. "Now move that pawn there…" she said, gesturing again.

Harry sighed, shaking his head, but grinning widely. He did as she said, and the game went on. Mel moved quickly, cutting very few losses, and going straight for the target…Ron barely knew what had happened, when Harry looked up at him, smiling.

"Checkmate."

"You're amazingly good at this," Ron said, looking at Mel in awe.

"Thank you," Mel smiled, looking away at the compliment.

"Though it was supposed to be a game between Harry and Ron," Ginny said pointedly.

Harry threw her a warning look before turning to Mel, who looked a bit embarrassed now.

"Oh…I would've stopped if…"

"Hey, I completely didn't mind the help," Harry cut her off before she could continue. "And I'm sure Ron enjoyed the challenge."

"Actually I wanna play her again…" Ron said absently, still studying the board, trying to figure out how, exactly, he'd lost."

"Well it wasn't her game to begin with!" Ginny said a bit loudly as the others turned to look at her.

"Ginny, look…" Mel began, sounding slightly irritated. "I'm really sorry if…"

"Mel don't apologize," Harry cut her off, looking pointedly at Ginny. "If either Ron or I minded your help we would have said something."

Ginny, seeing no one was taking her side, stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to see if Hermione needs help," she muttered as she turned and stalked away. Ron looked up from the board at last too see her leaving.

"What happened?" he asked, looking from Harry to Mel, confused.

"Ginny's a bit upset with me," Mel began, "for interfering…"

"Oh, is that all?" Ron asked. "She'll get over it…" He said, putting the chess pieces away as he spoke. "Though I reckon I'll join her, Hermione's probably waiting…you coming Harry?"

"Soon," Harry replied. "Gimme a few more minutes."

"Oh sure, leave me to the studying…you go have fun…" Ron joked as he stood up.

"Well, yeah…that was my plan," Harry said, looking quite serious for a moment, before a large grin spread across his face.

Ron just rolled his eyes, smiling.

"I'll see you later then," he said with a laugh. Harry and Mel both said good-bye, and watched him walk off down the aisle, before exiting the great hall.

"I really am sorry," Mel said immediately as Harry turned to face her again. "I didn't even think about it when I started helping you play…"

"Don't worry about it," Harry cut in with a wave of his hand. "I still can't believe you won…I mean…I lost quite a few men before you came and took over. On top of that you were playing Ron, and he's the best chess player I know."

"He's definitely good…" Mel said. "I'd really like to play a full game against him sometime."

"Well then sometime you will…" Harry grinned. "You heard him…he said he wanted to play you as well."

Mel nodded, smiling back at him, before shifting in her seat, and speaking again.

"So…" she began slowly. "Remember that night we had dinner in the observatory?"

"Yes," Harry said quietly, looking at his hands. It was the same night he'd found Cho in his dorm. "I remember."

Mel hesitated for a moment, noticing the change in his expression, before continuing.

"Well, Professor Lupin came to our common room later that night…to get Draco, who seemed utterly furious at being told he had to leave. He kept raising his voice…I heard your name a few times…and he didn't come back that night…or the next one."

"Yeah, he didn't seem to happy when I talked to him that night either," Harry replied with a forced smile, but kept his eyes down.

Mel simply looked at Harry, who didn't say anything else about it. He could tell by the look on her face that she knew he wasn't saying something…but she wasn't going to ask.

"I'm sorry," she said at last. "I didn't realize that this would upset you…we don't have to…"

"No…wait," Harry interrupted, looking over and meeting her gaze. The stone was still trying to talk to him, to tell him something, but it was barely a whisper in the back of his head. He knew it was about Mel…it had to be. Standing up slowly, he turned and looked down at her.

"Care to go for a walk?" he asked, with a small smile. She nodded evenly as she stood as well, and together they exited the great hall, and started up the hallway.

For the first few moments, they walked side by side in silence. Harry found himself wanting to explain things to Mel…and at the same time, thinking it would be best to leave things as they are. They made their way up several floors, and Mel never once tried to push or prod him into anything. He loved that about her…she didn't try to force anything out of him…and he was grateful.

"A lot of things have been happening lately," he spoke up at last, turning and looking at her as he did so. She met his gaze, waiting patiently for him to go on. "Ever since the day after Christmas…I…we…" he paused, searching, "things have gotten pretty bad," he said, sighing. "Worse than I'd ever imagined."

"I knew things weren't going great," Mel said softly, "It wasn't hard to tell something was wrong…but it was none of my business…I didn't want you to think I was trying to pry…"

"Believe me," Harry said earnestly, "You're about the only one who did that for me…and I appreciate it more than you know…" he trailed off again, at a loss for how to continue.

"You don't have to tell me anything," Mel said, reading his expression. "Don't feel you have to…but if you need someone to listen…"

"Cho's dead," Harry said suddenly, cutting her off abruptly. "Voldemort killed her."

Mel's expression was one of horror and shock.

"I'm…I'm so sorry Harry…I didn't know…"

"No one did," Harry replied, shaking his head. "I didn't want anyone to know."

"I…I don't…don't know what to say…" Mel stammered. "Are you alright? I know how you felt about her…"

"Do you?" Harry asked, trying to smile. Mel seemed to consider a moment before replying.

"I didn't know her…at all," she said slowly. "But I'd see the two of you together over the last two years…here and there. And when I met her…just seeing you around her…the look in your eyes. I know you loved her…and I'm sorry for what happened," she paused a moment, looking down, before adding quietly. "No one should ever have to see someone they love die…never."

Harry stared at her for a moment, she sounded almost bitter and he opened his mouth to ask if anything was wrong, but stopped himself quickly. She had always waited for him to decide when he wanted to talk and when he didn't. The least he could do was show her the same consideration…if she wanted to tell him something, she would.

As they continued their walk, Harry told her as much as he could about what had happened the last few days. He didn't touch on anything about being a Psion, the defender, the guardian or the crystals…but he did tell her everything involving Cho…and where he had found her…and what had happened with her parents. He talked for quite some time, and when he finally finished, they were well on their way back down to the main hall.

Sighing softly, Mel looked up at Harry.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I know I keep saying it…but I don't know what else to say…I can't believe anyone would be so cruel…"

"That's how Voldemort is," Harry said coldly. "Anything chance he has to make life miserable…make my life miserable…and he takes it…"

He looked down at Mel and noticed her shiver involuntarily.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, "You don't want to hear this…"

"No, no!" Mel replied. "I don't…"

"And it's not your problem," Harry continued, over her. "I don't want to…"

"Harry," Mel interrupted, firmly. "I don't mind talking about this…it's if you mind that we should stop. If you need to talk I'll listen…and if you don't want to then don't…but don't feel you have to stop because of me…please."

Harry couldn't help but let a small grin cross his lips as she looked up at him in earnest while she spoke. He barely knew Mel…but he loved her company, and wished he could spend more time around her.

With a quiet sigh, he shook his head slowly.

"Well in that case, I still think we should stop talking about this," he said firmly. It didn't hurt as much to talk about it anymore, but he still felt it just the same.

"Well then," Mel began, with a grin, "what should we discuss next?" she asked, and then before Harry could answer she quickly went on. "Oh! I know! Professor Dumbledore said that quidditch would be continuing! I bet you're excited…"

"Am I ever!" Harry replied, a large smile spreading across his face. "I honestly didn't think I'd get to play this year."

"I saw a notice in our common room this morning," Mel said. "The practices are on a strict schedule…you must've gotten one too, right?"

"We did," Harry nodded. "Our first practice is next week."

"The games are gonna be much closer together now though…especially since the first game is a rematch."

"I know," Harry replied. "But I'll take that over nothing at all."

The two of them continued on, discussing quidditch as they made their way back downstairs. They were so deep into strategy talk that Harry almost missed the library when they walked by the entrance to it. He stopped abruptly, looking from the doors to Mel and back.

"Did you leave something in there?" Mel asked, grinning at his indecision. She had taken a few steps passed him when he'd halted and had turned to look back at him.

"No…well, I'm supposed to help Ron, Hermione and Ginny with some…research, actually."

"For homework?"

"Er…not exactly," Harry replied.

"Oh…well…I guess it's important then?" she asked. "You can go if you have to…I'll just talk to you later."

"Well I don't…" he began quickly, before stopping abruptly. Grinning sheepishly, he continued. "I don't want you to leave…unless you want to, of course…"

Mel smiled wanly as she took a step back towards Harry.

"Did you want me to help…what are you researching?"

Harry considered a moment…and was about to reply, when the crystal finally spoke above a whisper.

Don't tell her…no one's supposed to know…

Well what harm could it do? he thought back quickly. I'm sure everyone in the school wants to know more about the Inquisitors.

It's not a good idea…

Harry shook his head, deciding the crystal was wrong. He didn't like the fear crystal already, and hoped he wouldn't have it long.

"Is everything alright?" Mel asked.

"Hmm?" Harry replied, seeming to snap out of it as he looked back at her. "Yes, everything's fine…sorry," he went on, grinning sheepishly.

"Well," Mel continued, smiling at his response, "if you do want help I don't mind…but I'd need to know what we're looking for."

"The Inquisitors," Harry replied without hesitation. "We want to know more about them."

"Oh, really?" Mel asked, her expression becoming very interested. "I want to know more too! I can't find anything though…in any books we have…"

"We have passes for the restricted section," Harry cut in, smirking.

Mel looked at him for a moment, her expression full of surprise.

"Well that certainly would make it easier," she said at last, smiling.

"So…you do want to help then?" Harry asked, wanting to be sure.

"Absolutely…if your friends don't mind, that is," Mel added quickly.

"Even if they do…I want you to help…they'll just have to accept it," Harry said with a wink. He stepped towards the door, and pushed it open, allowing Mel to walk in first, before following her through into the hushed calm of the library.

Harry and Mel made their way through the scattering of tables and busy students. Madam Pince, Harry noticed, was watching them like a hawk as they passed her desk, eyeing them suspiciously. He nodded at her, pleasantly, before turning away, looking for his friends. They had, as usual, chosen the table that was farthest back, so that no one could just walk by and look over their shoulders as they worked.

"Hey guys," Harry said quietly as he and Mel neared his friends. The three of them looked up at once, and Harry could see their expressions falter. Ron and Hermione looked confused and slightly annoyed, while Ginny appeared quite angry. "Mel is going to help us do some research," he continued on quickly, before anyone could speak.

"Oh," Hermione said, her voice somewhat strained. "That's…nice…"

"Yeah, just…great," Ron added, unconvincingly.

"I thought this was supposed to be a secret," Ginny said bluntly, her expression dark as she glared up at Mel.

"From Dumbledore," Harry said, immediately.

"And," Ginny continued, her gaze still fixed on Mel, "from anyone we don't trust."

"That's right," Harry nodded, tightly. "Luckily, Mel fits neither of those…"

"You know, this was a bad idea," Mel cut him off gently. "I shouldn't have come…"

Harry shook his head and opened his mouth to tell her she was wrong, but Ginny spoke first.

"That's right you shouldn't have," she said icily.

"Ginny!" Harry hissed, looking at her pointedly.

"What have I ever done to you?" Mel spoke up quietly, staring calmly at Ginny. "Because it's more than obvious that you hate me…and I would really like to know why."

Ginny glared straight back at Mel, and spoke in an equally even tone.

"It isn't anything you did…I don't trust you. I never have, and I never will."

"And do you have any reasons at all for your distrust?" Mel asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or is it just warped paranoia?"

Ginny's expression was now one of hate, and she stood up from her chair before replying.

"You're a Slytherin. You were put into that house for a reason. Everyone knows that Slytherins lie and cheat to get whatever they want…so what would make you any different? Acting nice to Harry doesn't make me believe your lies for even a second…neither did standing up to Malfoy at Hogsmeade. You want something and I think you're trying to use Harry to get it."

"Ginny that's enough!" Harry said sharply, causing the few students near enough to hear him to turn and stare. But Ginny didn't even blink; she kept her eyes on Mel, steadily.

"You're right…" Mel began softly, stepping so close to Ginny their noses almost touched. "I am a Slytherin." She kept her gaze locked with Ginny's for barely a second longer, before turning, her robes swirling from the momentum, and stalking silently back across the library.

Harry's jaw dropped in stunned silence as he looked after Mel, before turning to face Ginny.

"Why did you do that?" he asked fiercely, his eyes flashing.

"Harry," Ginny began, impatiently, "we can't let her know any more than you've already told her…which I'm seriously hoping wasn't much…"

"This had nothing to do with that!" Harry had to fight to keep from yelling. "You wouldn't have cared if I'd come back here with any other student in this school…"

"That's not true," Ginny cut in. "I would have cared, we all agreed not to spread this around."

"We've agreed to that in the past as well," Harry said, pointedly, "but none of you seemed to care when I used to invite Cho to help us research things…"

"Cho was different!" Ginny said, angrily. "She wasn't trying to hurt you…she only wanted to help…"

"Which is exactly the case with Mel," Harry said stiffly. "If you don't like her, fine. I can't make you change your mind, but I'm not going to let anything like what you just did happen again…you had no right…I don't care what house she's in."

Ginny looked at him, seeming both angry and sad. She shook her head slowly, before speaking.

"Harry, what if she is trying to hurt you? She lied about something very important on the very first day you met her, and for nothing more than house points! Lives were in danger and all she cared about was that Slytherin house didn't take any blame…"

"Why do you keep bringing that up?" Harry said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Not every Slytherin lies to be mean…I don't think the fact that that's Mel's house should have anything to do with…"

"Ginny Weasley!" a shrill voice interrupted as Madam Pince strode briskly towards the four students. "Ginny Weasley I want to speak with you at once!"

Ron and Hermione, who had remained silent for both arguments, now stood up with the others.

"What's wrong Madam Pince?" Ginny asked, looking somewhat apprehensive.

"This is what's wrong!" Madam Pince spoke harshly holding up a slip of paper with messy scrawl on it. Ginny narrowed her eyes in confusion, before a wave of recognition swept over her features. "Yes," Madam Pince continued, nodding stiffly. "Your pass to the restricted section. Lending it out to other students now are we?"

Ginny thrust her hands into her pockets, searching, but came up empty. She looked up at the librarian in horror.

"I swear I didn't! Somebody must've taken it…"

"No this student explained very clearly to me how you gave it to her willingly. Now, if you'll please follow me."

Madam Pince turned abruptly and began moving quickly back towards her desk. Ginny cast a worried glance around at her friends who could do no more than stare back at her, stunned. They watched silently as she shuffled nervously after the librarian.

"You know who it was that did that, right?" Hermione spoke up quietly, looking at Harry. He turned and met her gaze evenly, before glancing at Ron, whose expression was quickly becoming one of anger.

"I have to go," Harry said absently, turning before either of his friends could respond. He crossed the room in a flash, and set off immediately for the dungeon area.

Harry moved quickly, almost running through the halls. He didn't even know if this was the direction Mel had gone in, but it was the only place he knew of to check. Deeper and deeper he moved through the corridors, until finally coming into view of the Slytherin dorm entrance, just as Mel was stepping through.

"Mel!" he called to get her attention. She looked up sharply as she heard her name, and seemed to hesitate, considering. Glancing almost longingly into her common room, she heaved a light sigh, before stepping out entirely, just as Harry finally reached her.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, breathing heavy as he spoke. He'd had to move fast to catch up with her, and was slightly out of breath.

"Do what?" Mel asked, smirking. "I just…"

"You know what I mean," Harry said curtly, not in the mood to joke around. "Why did you set Ginny up…she's in a lot of trouble!"

"Do you really need to ask me why?" Mel countered, raising an eyebrow. "I think it was fairly obvious that…"

"Look I'm not saying what she said to you is right or acceptable…but what you did is worse…"

"What I did, was give her what she wanted," Mel said flatly. "She is never going to accept me as anything more than a lying, cheating Slytherin…so that's what I gave her."

"Well it's going to be a lot harder to convince my friends to trust you now!" Harry said exasperatedly.

"I thought you didn't care what they thought?" Mel said, cocking her head to the side.

"I don't," Harry sighed, shaking his head. "I just think it could've been nice hanging out with all of you together…all we really needed was to convince Ginny because Ron and Hermione seemed to be coming around…"

"Sorry," Mel said, shrugging, sounding anything but.

"What did you do anyway?" Harry asked. "Take the pass right out of her pocket? Then what?"

"Well…yes, I got close enough where I could take it out of her pocket…then I went up to Madam Pince. She saw me walk in with you so she assumed we were all friends, I handed her the pass, and asked if I would be allowed to use it. I told her Ginny had given it to me and I didn't want to get in trouble if it wasn't allowed…and well…she seemed a bit miffed after that, grabbed the pass and headed straight back for your table, so I took off."

Harry just nodded, not sure what to feel. He wasn't completely angry, but at the same time, was far from pleased.

"I just…just wanted them to trust you, you know? I wanted all of you to get along, because I'm sick and tired of arguing about it…" he said, numbly.

Mel took a step forward now, an apologetic expression on her face.

"Harry…I didn't even think…"

"No you didn't," he said sharply, but instantly regretting it when he saw her flinch. He softened his tone as he continued. "I know why you did what you did…and like I already said, Ginny had no right to treat you like that. But now…" Harry trailed off, miserably. He just didn't want to fight with his friends anymore, there were too many things going on to worry about that. He glanced down at his hands for a moment before looking up again at Mel, her expression was unreadable.

"I'm gonna go," Harry said softly, before turning and starting to walk away. He felt Mel's eyes on him as he went, but she never called out after him. Reaching the corner, he turned out of sight, before coming to a stop, and leaning up against the wall. It was starting to feel like a vicious cycle to him, and he wanted it to end. He didn't want to face his friends now, knowing another argument was coming, but there was no way around it, and he was done with trying to avoid everyone. He couldn't change what he felt…and his instincts told him Mel could be trusted, despite what had just happened. Sighing heavily, he started off again, heading for the Gryffindor tower.

Harry reached the common room a short while later and stepped in quietly, letting the portrait hole shut softly behind him. He went immediately to the corner he and his friends usually occupied, relieved to find it empty. The others were still out, and for the moment, he was glad.

He lowered himself into the only chair that had its back to the portrait hole and settled down to wait. Most likely Ron and Hermione were waiting for Ginny, as he didn't think much research would be getting done now. His mind wandered to the fear crystal, which had been silent ever since its last warning, and now he wished he'd listened to it, if only to have avoided the argument that was sure to come.

Nearly a half an hour later, Harry heard the portrait hole swing open again, and heard the hushed voices of his friends as they made their way over to the corner, unaware of his presence.

"All I can say," Ron spoke evenly, "is that if Mel thinks she's gonna get away with this, she's in for a shock…I never should've…"

"Harry!" Hermione cut him off, her tone full of surprise, as she came around to the inner side of the circle of chairs. "We didn't realize you were back."

"So I gathered," Harry spoke quietly as the others came around to see him as well.

"Did you talk to Mel?" Ron asked sternly as he sat down across from Harry, the other two took seats as well. Harry simply nodded.

"Did she try to deny what she did?" Ginny asked, disgustedly.

"No," Harry replied. "She admitted to having set you up…"

"Well now do you believe me?" Ginny asked, leaning forward almost eagerly. "She lies for points, and she lied to get me in trouble…which, by the way, I can't help you guys with research anymore. Madam Pince took away my pass, along with twenty-five points from Gryffindor, plus I have detention!" Ginny finished, throwing her hands into the air.

Harry waited until she was completely finished, before starting to speak.

"I agree what she did was uncalled for…but so was what you said to her…"

"What?" Ginny interrupted. "How can you…?"

"Let me finish," Harry interjected, his tone even. "I think both of you were wrong, but I don't think this proves in any way that Mel can't be trusted. She did what she did to get back at you for what you said…that's all."

"Why are you defending her?" Ron asked, confused and angry. "Ginny didn't get Mel in trouble or points taken away from Slytherin…so the situation is hardly fair!"

"I never said it was fair," Harry replied, flatly. "I'm saying, for the second time, Mel did what she did because of what Ginny said. If she were actually trying to somehow infiltrate our little group and get information, this would hardly be the way to gain anyone's trust and you all know it…so if anything, I'm even more convinced now than I've ever been before, that Mel is not someone we have to be afraid of. She did what was in her nature to do…I agree it's wrong…I don't have an excuse for her…but that's all it was."

"So you don't care that she lost points for our house or that…"  
"Ginny," Harry interrupted, raising his voice for the first time. "Please just stop. I'm tired of defending Mel to you…to all of you. I'm tired of the constant fighting. If you don't want to trust her, like her, talk to her…whatever, I'm done arguing about it! There are more important things going on right now and if you keep insisting we fight over this, I'm just going to start walking away when the subject comes up. I'm finished with it."

As if to confirm his point, Harry stood up at the end of his last statement and walked quickly across the room towards the door for the dorms, without so much as another glance at his friends.

Harry didn't speak with his friends for the remainder of the evening, and decided to turn in early. He had no trouble getting the crystal to return to gem form that night, and fell asleep rather quickly.

The next morning he woke much earlier than he normally would for a Sunday, and at first didn't get up, hoping to sleep just a little bit longer. But it was no good, he just wasn't tired, so after several long minutes, he sighed lightly, and sat up. He got out of bed and changed quickly, remembering to call on the fear crystal before grabbing his wand and his watch, and leaving the dorm. He didn't even think about what he was doing, and headed immediately for the dungeon area, moving silently through the quiet halls in the early morning.

Allison was in her office, searching through a drawer packed with files, taking no notice when Harry silently entered the office. As he neared where she was kneeling over the mess of paperwork, he cleared his throat lightly to let her know he was there. She looked up immediately, a warm smile on her face.

"Hello Harry…up a bit early aren't you? I didn't know Cole has asked you to meet him this morning…"

"Oh…he didn't," Harry interrupted softly. "I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep…"

"Ouch," Allison remarked, cringing. "That stinks, especially on a Sunday…"

"Yeah, I agree," Harry laughed, nodding. "But since I'm up…I had a question I hoped you might answer. I think I already have an idea about it…but I wanted to make sure."

"Sure, anything," Allison nodded, standing up and turning fully to face him. "Ask away."

"Well…Cole explained to me how the stones will give me their suggestion…and I choose what to listen to and what to disregard."

"That's right," Allison stated, with a small nod."

"How about when I can't understand them though?" Harry asked.

"When you can't understand them? What do you mean?" Allison asked, puzzled.

"I mean when they're speaking too low. Yesterday the fear crystal was whispering a lot…I couldn't make any of it out…is there something I should be doing when that happens? Is it normal? What does it mean?"

"The fear crystal will do that…" Allison began gently, "as will some of the others. It happens when the thoughts and feelings it is centering on at that moment are not of the greatest importance to you, or you don't feel too strongly about something. There's nothing you can do to make it speak up, but try to make yourself aware of your surroundings when it happens…particularly on the people around you."

Harry nodded slowly as she spoke.

"Yeah…that's what I thought it meant too…" he murmured.

"Well than that was very perceptive of you," Allison commented, winking. "Was there something else? Any problems?"

"No, that was all," Harry smirked with a shrug. "Sorry to bother you for nothing…"

"Oh no bother at all," Allison said with a wave of her hand. "Stop in anytime."

"Thank you," Harry said, grinning. "See you later then."

Allison said goodbye and Harry left the office as quietly as he'd entered. He really had already known that was going to be the answer to his question…he didn't know how, but he just knew. Making his way through the corridors now, he moved slowly, enjoying the silence. He hoped he'd be able to talk with his friends today, but he also had meant what he'd told them the night before. He was done with pointless fighting. If they insisted on trying to argue his friendship with Mel, he wasn't going to listen anymore.

Harry was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice anything around him. He moved steadily down the hall, not realizing someone was following him, moving just as silent and steady as he was, and closing the gap between them.

Harry was looking straight ahead, when he happened to pass the spot in the dungeon area that led to the secret room he'd found Snape trapped in several months ago. He turned to look at it as he walked by, wondering briefly how the death eaters had known about the trick wall while no one in the school seemed to, but quickly turned away as he moved past it.

He'd barely made it another step when the crystal's fearful voice filled his head.

Shadow…did you…?

I did see it, Harry thought back to it quickly, realizing there had been a shadow on the wall apart from his own, and it was coming towards him quickly. He wouldn't have paid it the slightest attention had the crystal not said anything however, too caught up in his own thoughts.

Harry quickened his pace slightly, slipping his hand into his pocket and extracting his wand, before steeling himself, and turning to face his pursuer.

Harry spun quickly, and not a moment too soon, as the first thing he saw was someone's hand reaching for him. Without thinking, he reached out and took hold of the person's wrist, spinning them around, twisting their arm up behind them, and instantly regretting it.

A flash of red hair swept in front of his eyes as he moved, and he heard a girl's voice cry out in pain and fear.

"Ginny!" he cried in shock as he immediately released her. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you? Are you alright?"

"Why did you do that?" she asked testily as she turned around, rubbing her sore wrist.

"Well…why were you sneaking up on me?" Harry countered, slipping his wand back in his pocket. "What are you doing down here anyway?"

Ginny pressed her lips together and looked down at her feet; Harry could see the color rising in her face, her cheeks going a fierce shade of red.

"I saw you leave a while ago…so I followed you…" she muttered quietly.

"Followed me…" Harry repeated, his brow furrowing, "but why? And I didn't see you in the common room…why are you up so early?"

"I never went to sleep," Ginny said softly, looking back up to meet his gaze. "I've been in the common room since last night."

"What?" he asked, confused, finally noticing the bags under her eyes. She was completely exhausted. "Ginny why did you do that…you shouldn't have…"

"I couldn't sleep," she cut him off. "Trust me, I wouldn't have been able to."

"Well I think you should try," Harry said firmly. "C'mon…I'll take you back there now." He took her arm and began to lead her through the hallway, but she pulled away softly, coming to a stop.

"Harry wait…I wanted to talk to you."

"We can talk," he replied. "But you should get some rest first."

"No, now…please…" she said, looking up at him pleadingly.

"Okay, as we walk then," Harry said, thinking she would probably be much better off if she slept on whatever she wanted to say. He was getting the impression it was serious.

Ginny nodded her agreement at his suggestion, and the two of them began making their way back up the corridor, side by side.

"Harry…about yesterday…I wanted to…"

"Ginny, wait," Harry interrupted gently. "You're very tired…and I really don't think it's a good idea to get into another argument about this, especially right now…"

"I don't want to argue!" Ginny said hurriedly. "I don't want to fight anymore either…"

"Okay," Harry said, skeptically, "What then?"

"I've been thinking about what happened yesterday a lot in the past few hours. And if you want to be friends with Mel…then I'm not going to try and stop you. I don't like her, and not just because she's a Slytherin…"

"Which shouldn't have anything to do with it anyway…" Harry interrupted.

"Wait, let me finish," Ginny said, earnestly. "Please."

Harry nodded, holding in anything further he had to say.

"I don't like her…because you do like her. I know you do…"

"Well I've told you all she's my friend…of course I like her," Harry said with a small grin.

"No Harry," Ginny said shaking her head. "You like her…you look at her differently than…than you look at me."

Harry stopped walking, staring at Ginny as she did the same.

"Hang on…how I look at you? I don't…"

"Harry I know you knew about my little crush on you when we were kids…but the truth is, I've never stopped feeling that way about you," Ginny spoke quickly, as if needing to get it all out. "When you started dating Cho, and things seemed to get serious, I can't say I wasn't jealous…but at the same time I didn't mind it. I knew you didn't feel the same way for me that I did for you…but at least you had someone who cared for you…"

Harry didn't know what to say. He had thought Ginny no longer harbored these feelings for him, and only just recently had started thinking otherwise. But he never expected she'd come out and say anything…especially like this.

"Then when you started spending time with Mel, well it was obvious how much you enjoyed it…and now…well…I just…" she stammered, no longer able to find the words. Harry looked at her feeling horribly guilty, as tears began to trickle slowly down her face.

"Ginny…please, don't cry," he said awkwardly, stepping towards her. He hesitated a moment, unsure of what to do, and finally raised a hand to her face, wiping gently at the tears.

"I'm sorry," Ginny sobbed, bringing her own hands up to her face and looking away. "I didn't mean to do it like this…"

"Shhh, it's okay," he whispered, pulling her into a protective embrace.

"Do you hate me now?" she asked, sounding defeated, her voice muffled against his chest.

"I could never hate you Ginny," Harry said firmly. "I love you very much…you and Ron and Hermione."

"Yeah…me and Ron and Hermione," Ginny repeated softly. She sighed shakily before taking a step back, wiping once more at her eyes. "I won't try to fight with you anymore about Mel," Ginny said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Harry just shook his head, trying to smile reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it anymore, Ginny. I think you need to sleep, and we can talk more about this later…okay?"

Ginny nodded, keeping her eyes down. She allowed Harry to take her arm once again, and lead her back towards the Gryffindor tower.

"Harry c'mon, it's time to head back," Ron called out to his friend, who was circling the quidditch pitch on his Moontrimmer.

"I know, I know," Harry called back reluctantly. A week had passed since his discussion with Ginny, and she now seemed a bit awkward around him. He tried not to make her feel too badly about it, he couldn't help the way she felt, or that he didn't feel the same.

The first quidditch practice for Gryffindor had gone quite well, but Harry wished it would've been a bit longer. It was going to be tough getting ready for the games with such short practices.

Madam Hooch had scheduled the matches, and as it stood, Gryffindor faced Ravenclaw at the end of March, Hufflepuff at the end of April, and Slytherin at the end of May. The games were very close together, and the only good that Harry could find in this set-up, was every house was being given completely equal amounts of time for practice.

Harry and his teammates landed their brooms and made their way to the locker rooms to change. They quickly reviewed maneuvers that had went well, and the things to be worked on for next time, before Madam Hooch told them they had to head back to the school.

"So," Ron said as he and Harry walked next to each other up the hill. "How is the new crystal working out?"

"Boring," Harry replied with a shrug. Cole had told him that morning that he was to stop using the fear crystal, as Harry had had no problems working with it at all, and had switched him to the artist crystal. Harry hadn't been looking much forward to this one, as he wasn't exactly the most artistic person in the world, but Cole said he had to. Better to get it out of the way at least, but Harry still felt it was a waste of time; it hadn't uttered a word since he called on it.

"Maybe he won't make you keep it for long," Ron suggested, hopefully.

"Well if it never says anything," Harry began, "I don't see the point in holding onto it. The fear crystal spoke up immediately…this one isn't even whispering."

Ginny, who had been walking along nearby, looked up at them as Harry spoke.

"What if he makes you keep it until it does?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "Hopefully it doesn't take very long…"

The three friends reached the steps to the school and ascended them quickly, before going inside. Harry and Ron were going to meet Hermione in the library to do some more research, and Ginny would meet up with them after. Her detention, she'd found out, would be the following weekend, with Madam Pince, restocking books with the librarian. With the number of students in the school, it could easily prove to be a very long night.

They reached the Gryffindor tower, where Harry and Ron dropped off their brooms, before leaving once more and heading back towards the library.

"Have you spoken to Mel at all?" Ron asked as they made their way through the halls.

"Not since last week, no," Harry replied. "Though I want to…I feel kinda bad the way I left it with her."

"Well she did deserve it," Ron began.

"Ron," Harry said warningly.

"I know, I'm stopping," Ron said, putting up his hands and rolling his eyes. None of his friends were any more accepting of Mel than they'd been before, but they'd all stopped trying to convince Harry to feel the same. "Though I still want her to at least apologize…"

"I want both of them to apologize," Harry replied with a shrug. Ron looked as if he wanted to comment on this, but instead, held his tongue, shaking his head.

"Hey look," Harry spoke up again, peering down the hall at a short figure moving towards him. "Dobby," he called happily. "How are you?"

Dobby was walking up the hallway towards the two students, and yet he hadn't seen them there until he heard his name. He jumped at the sound of Harry's voice, before scurrying over quickly.

"Harry Potter, sir!" he said worriedly, sounding almost out of breath.

"Hello Dobby," Harry replied, puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

Dobby looked up at Harry for a brief moment, before glancing around nervously, his eyes darting back and forth, trying to look everywhere at once. Harry and Ron exchanged worried glances; neither of them had ever seen Dobby behave this way.

"Crawls," Dobby squeaked suddenly, his eyes wide as he turned his attention back to the two students. "Not safe here…"

"Not safe?" Ron asked, his brow furrowing. "And what do you mean crawls? Who's crawling…or what?"

Dobby wasn't paying attention to Ron's questions, however. He was already back to searching the area around them, as if expecting something to jump out at them. Harry could see sweat on the poor house-elf's face and realized just how serious whatever Dobby was trying to tell them must be. He'd never seen him this scared…never.

"Dobby," Harry began gently, bending down slightly. "We'll help you with whatever it is that's worrying you…but you need to tell us…"

"Dobby must tell someone!" Dobby interrupted suddenly. "Dobby must see headmaster…must tell…must…" he trailed off, his eyes glazing over. He stood, swaying on the spot, looking as if he might fall. Harry knelt down completely so that he was at eye level with the small house-elf and took hold of his arms to keep him balanced.

"Dobby," he began firmly. "Listen to me…you're safe, but we need you to tell us what's wrong. What did you mean before when you said crawls?"

Dobby's eyes cleared once more as Harry spoke, and he blinked a few times, before meeting Harry's gaze.

"Crawls are everywhere," he whispered, fearfully. "When Harry Potter's friend Cho-"

Dobby stopped abruptly, inhaling sharply, looking past Harry and Ron.

"What about Cho?" Harry persisted anxiously, not taking his eyes off the house elf.

"What are you three up to?" a voice spoke up from behind them. Harry felt Dobby start to pull away as he and Ron looked around to see who was there. Cole and Marzia were barely a few steps away, slowing as they reached the students and the house elf, before coming to a stop.

"We're not up to anything," Harry replied, throwing Marzia a wary glance before turning to Cole. "Dobby was just talking to us about…"

"Dobby must go now!" the small house-elf shouted suddenly, ripping himself forcefully from Harry's grasp. He looked fearfully over Harry's head, before turning and scampering off down the hall.


	23. Chapter 23

"Dobby…wait!" Harry cried, stumbling to his feet. He took off after the house-elf with Ron at his heels. They both saw Dobby turn the first corner up the hall, but as they skidded to a stop upon reaching it and peering down, they found Dobby was nowhere to be seen.

"Dammit," Harry muttered as he and Ron turned away from the corridor.

"Fast little bugger," Ron commented in amazement. "Maybe he'll go to Dumbledore," he suggested hopefully. "He said he wanted to."

"I don't know," Harry replied, shaking his head. "It seemed like he was having trouble keeping his thoughts straight…but I hope you're right."

"What was all that about?" Marzia asked curiously as she and Cole finally caught up to the two students.

"I wish I knew," Harry replied curtly, "something must've scared him." He turned away from Marzia before she could reply and looked to Cole. "Have you ever heard of crawls?" he asked, anxiously.

Cole raised an eyebrow curiously, staring back at Harry.

"Crawls?" he repeated. "Doesn't sound familiar…why?"

"Just something Dobby mentioned," Harry replied, shaking his head. "I thought you might know what he meant…"

"Sorry kiddo," Cole replied with a shrug. "I'll see what I can find out…but I can honestly say the term crawls doesn't ring a bell…as a creature, spell, or otherwise."

Harry nodded once, before glancing once more at Marzia. She was listening intently to their conversation, but met Harry's gaze as she saw him turn.

"Do you have any idea what crawls are?" he asked stiffly.

"No, I don't," she replied softly. Harry nodded again, expecting that would be her answer anyway. This was the first time he'd spoken with her since he'd accused her to Dumbledore. He realized that she must be patrolling, and Cole was there to watch over her, to make sure she didn't try anything. If she was angry with Harry in any way for this, she certainly wasn't showing it. After another minute of silence, she spoke again. "Where are you two heading?"

"Why do you need to know?" Ron shot back immediately.

"I…I don't need to," Marzia replied, taken aback. "I was just asking…you don't have to tell me."

Harry watched Marzia's reaction closely, before turning to look at Ron.

"You go on ahead," he said quietly, "I'm going to see if I can find Dumbledore. Hopefully Dobby does the same."

"I'll come," Ron replied instantly.

"And we have to get back to our rounds," Cole said with finality. "Ready?" he asked flatly, looking to Marzia. She nodded vaguely, her eyes betraying the sorrow she was obviously feeling at being shunned, but she kept her expression firm.

"C'mon," Ron prompted, gesturing for Harry to follow him. Harry nodded, glancing once more at Marzia, before starting back up the hall towards the headmaster's office.

They reached the gargoyle quickly enough and went upstairs to the office. Harry knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open softly as he heard the headmaster tell them to come in.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore smiled warmly from behind his desk. "Please have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chairs across from him.

"Sorry to disturb you," Harry said as he and Ron lowered themselves into the large chairs. "But I wanted to ask you a question."

Dumbledore nodded, patiently.

"Well, first I guess…have you ever heard of crawls? Do you know what they are?"

"Crawls?" Dumbledore repeated faintly. "You mean as in a creature of some sort?"

"I don't know," Harry replied with a shrug. "I was hoping you would."

"I'm afraid not, my boy. Why did you need to know?"

"Well…something's scaring Dobby," Harry began.

"Badly," Ron cut in. "He's completely petrified."

"And he mentioned crawls," Harry continued. "He said he needed to tell you…said they were everywhere," he paused, before continuing in a hushed voice. "He mentioned Cho too…"

"In connection with these crawls?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry nodded.

"I think so."

"What else did he say?" Dumbledore asked gently.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances before explaining their brief encounter with Dobby, and his reaction to Cole and Marzia showing up.

Dumbledore stroked his chin thoughtfully, seeming to be mulling over everything he'd just been told.

"It seems only Dobby will be able to fully explain this mystery to us. I will pay a visit to his quarters, as well as keep an eye out in the event he stops in."

"He said he was coming to see you anyway," Ron added. "Before he was scared he said it, anyway…"

"We'll look out for him as well," Harry said quickly. He wanted to know what Dobby had been about to tell him, especially knowing it concerned Cho. He wished very much they hadn't been interrupted, but there was nothing that could be done now.

"Thank you both for bringing this to my attention." Dumbledore said, looking at both of them in turn. "I will let you know as soon as I find anything."

"Thank you sir," they replied in unison. Standing up, they said good-bye to the headmaster, before leaving the office and starting once again for the library.

"Do you think Dobby will end up going to Dumbledore?" Ron asked as they walked through the halls together.

"I hope so," Harry replied apprehensively. "I have to know what he was talking about."

"Maybe we should start looking for crawls in the library too," Ron suggested.

"I don't know if that'll do any good," Harry replied uncertainly. "Dumbledore, Cole and Marzia all seemed to have no clue what they were, and that makes me think either they're very unknown creatures, so we probably won't have anything on them here, or Dobby got the name wrong, as he usually does."

"Oh, right," Ron said.

"Where have you two been?" Hermione's voice drifted up the hallway to them.

"We were just coming to meet you," Ron replied as they neared each other.

"Yes well I'm taking a break, I've been there for hours and I expected your help quite a while ago."

"We got held up," Ron replied with an apologetic shrug.

"Hermione," Harry said as they three of them reached each other and came to a stop. "Have you ever heard the term crawls…as in a creature of some kind?"

Hermione raised a questioning eyebrow at him before shaking her head.

"Crawls?" she repeated. "No, never heard of them. Why?"

"Didn't think you would," Harry said with a sigh. He explained again what had happened with Dobby, and how scared he'd seemed.

"So they're in the school?" Hermione asked. "Why haven't we seen them?"

"I don't know what they even look like," Harry replied. "Maybe humans can't see them…or maybe they're good at blending in."

Hermione just nodded, still looking deep in thought as she began to walk. The three of them headed in the direction of the tower.

"Dobby must have the name wrong…" she said suddenly. "We need to find him and ask him more about them."

"Well he was supposed to be telling Dumbledore," Ron spoke up quickly. "But he didn't. I think Marzia scared him."

"So did I…but I'm not so sure now…" Harry replied. "She looked really upset, even though she was trying to hide it."

"Well yeah because she can't make a move without anyone watching her…I'm sure she's very upset…her plans are all spoiled and she can't get to you."

"But that's just the thing!" Harry said suddenly. "If she were really Saaneeraa she wouldn't really need to worry about anyone tailing her because she could control them…but she just looked sad…"

"It was an act, I'm sure," Ron replied quickly. "She wants to make you feel bad…make you feel you accused the wrong person, so you don't expect it when she makes her move."

Harry looked at Ron as he spoke, feeling uncertain. He didn't know what to believe anymore…and felt bad about Marzia, but Ron did have a point. It was probably best not to take any chances right now…

"I think we should check the map," Hermione said suddenly, as the portrait came into view. "We should find Dobby and ask him now what the crawls are."

"Good idea," Ron nodded.

"Yeah," Harry said, wondering why he hadn't thought of it. It was the second time the map was an obvious choice and he didn't think to use it.

The three of them went inside together. Hermione headed for Ginny who was in their usual corner, to tell her what was going on, while Harry and Ron went up to get the map.

They walked into the seventh-year boys dorm together and Harry went immediately to his trunk. He opened it gently and began rummaging around, Ron waiting nearby as he did so. He moved things from side to side, but the map was nowhere to be found. Soon he began emptying the contents onto the floor nearby, feeling a small twinge of panic.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, noticing how long it was taking.

"I can't find it," Harry replied stiffly, pulling every item out of his chest until it was bare. "It's not here!"

"It has to be!" Ron said, stubbornly. He knelt down near Harry and they began sifting through everything that Harry had just thrown on the floor, hoping it had gotten caught in something…but their efforts were in vain.

The Marauder's Map was gone.

"Who would've taken it? Who could've taken it?" Ron asked, still looking around frantically.

"I don't know," Harry shook his head, slumping back against the trunk. "But someone did…"

"But why?" Ron asked, giving up as well and sitting down amongst all of Harry's possessions.

"Isn't it obvious?" Harry asked. "We can see the entities on the map…or at least we can see Saaneeraa. She must've found out about it somehow…and taken it…so we couldn't find her."

"We have to tell someone then…" Ron said suddenly. "She could use it to see where any of us are…"

"Only if she has the password," Harry cut in. "Unless she knows some other way around it…but I don't think there is one." Sighing in frustration, he began to grab the items nearest him and tossing them back into the trunk. Ron helped him, making sure everything was accounted for besides the map, and Harry shut it softly when they'd finished.

"Let's go," he said, sounding tired. "Back to Dumbledore's office I guess…"

The two of them walked downstairs, and motioned for Hermione and Ginny to follow them out of the common room, into the hall.

"Did you check the map?" Hermione asked as soon as the portrait hole had shut behind them.

"No," Harry replied as he began to walk, the others following him immediately.

"Why not?" she asked, confused.

"Because it wasn't there."

"What!" Hermione and Ginny exclaimed in unison, their eyes growing wide.

"How can that be?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "But the only thing we can do now is tell Dumbledore. I think Saaneeraa took it…and I think it was just so we don't find her."

"What if she wants to use it?" Ginny asked.

"She would need the password," Ron replied. "We thought of that already."

"But what if she knows the password?" Hermione asked. "She could you know…if she can use peoples minds so easily, it wouldn't be hard to find a password…considering all of us, plus Remus and Sirius know it."

"Well something tells me she wouldn't have a problem finding any of us with or without the map…" Harry said quietly. "But you're right, it is a possibility."

They reached the stone gargoyle for the second time that day, and ascended the stairs together. Dumbledore was still in his office, with Cole, Sirius and Marzia.

"Back so soon, Harry?" Dumbledore asked warmly as the four students entered the room.

"Sorry to bother you again," Harry apologized immediately. "But something else has happened…"

"What's going on?" Sirius asked, looking from the headmaster to his godson. "Is everything alright?"

Harry glanced to where Cole and Marzia sat waiting for him to speak, before deciding it didn't matter who knew at this point, before turning back to his godfather.

"The Marauders' Map was stolen," he said quickly.

"What?" Sirius stood up immediately as he spoke. "How?"

"I don't know," Harry replied. "I wish I did…but it's gone and I don't know who has it or if they know how to use it…"

"We think Saaneeraa took it," Ron cut in, throwing Marzia a dark glare. "So that we wouldn't be able to see her on it."

Marzia didn't fail to catch the look Ron gave her and stood up stiffly.

"I think you're probably right," she spoke quietly. "There's a very good chance she would know about the map…and would do everything in her power to prevent you from using it."

"Which is probably why I haven't thought to use it in so long," Harry said, almost to himself.

"Say again?" Cole asked.

"The map," Harry repeated louder. "We could've been using it all this time…and I never thought to…I think Saaneeraa had something to do with that."

"Well we have to find it then," Marzia spoke up again.

"I bet you'd know right where it is too," Ron said.

"Ron!" Harry whispered fiercely seeing the shock cross Marzia's face. He was seriously beginning to doubt this was an act she was giving them.

"There is no proof that Marzia is against us at all Mr. Weasley," Sirius spoke up stiffly, crossing the room to his fiancé. "And unless proof is found I think you should keep your opinions to yourself."

Ron looked as if he might argue but Harry nudged him in the ribs, giving him a warning look.

"Do you remember the last time you saw the map Harry?" Dumbledore asked solemnly.

"Well…I can't remember the last time I actually saw it in the trunk…but I don't think it was too long ago. During the holidays I'm positive…after that I'm not sure…"

"We're going to find it then," Sirius said, determinedly.

"Is…is there a way to do that?" Harry asked, looking curiously at his godfather.

"There is a way…so long as no one else has used it since you did last," Sirius replied with a quick nod.

"How?" Harry asked.

"When Prongs, Moony, Wormtail and I made the map, we were very careful to perform a retrieval charm on it. If you were the last person who used it then your wand can take us to it."

"Great!" Harry said, anxiously. "How do I…?"

"Wait just a second," Cole cut in. "If it was Saaneeraa who stole this map…which I'd like someone to explain exactly why it's so important…then I'm not sure letting Harry go after it is a good idea. It will lead us straight to her."

"Well we won't be letting him go alone, of course," Sirius said looking at Cole as if he were insane. "But since Harry was most likely the last person to use it…he's the one that has to perform the charm to find it."

"I didn't think you meant he should go alone," Cole said quickly. "Merely that I don't think it's a good idea he be allowed to go anywhere that we might find Saaneeraa, no matter how many people are with him,"

"But we also can't allow her to keep the map," Sirius replied. "If she ever did find out its uses…which I'm sure she must know at least some of them already, it would be too much of an advantage for her."

"What makes you think she already knows how to use it?" Cole asked.

"Well why else would she steal it?" Marzia answered.

"Exactly," Sirius nodded. "We can't just let it go…we have to try to get it back."

"Albus," Cole said, sighing, giving up on arguing with Sirius and Marzia. "Do you really think this is wise? I don't like the idea of Harry leading us down to who knows where in this castle without knowing where we'll end up or who's going to be there."

"I don't like it either," Dumbledore commented gravely.

"But Albus," Sirius cut in. "We can't…"

"Though," Dumbledore continued over Sirius, who stopped speaking immediately. "I don't see that we have much choice. If Saaneeraa is indeed in possession of the map, and if she knows how to use it, who knows what she would be able to accomplish."

"Agreed," Sirius nodded, flashing Cole a triumphant smirk.

"Alright then," Harry said finally, stepping forward towards his godfather. "What do I have to do?"

"As I was saying," Sirius began quickly. "We cast a retrieval charm on the map once we began making it, it was reinforced when the map was completed as well…and will never wear off. It's a similar spell to the one that was performed on your watch when your father decided he would be giving it to you."

"How does it work?" Harry asked.

"I have to say the spell…if you were the last one to use it then your wand will immediately light, and begin leading you towards the map."

"Okay," Harry nodded, "just one question though, why do you have to say the spell?"

"Only one of the original marauders can cast the charm," Sirius explained, "and right now that includes myself and Remus. We did it that way so no one else would ever be able to lead themselves to the map. When one of us says these words, the last wand to open the map will always light up. Since Remus isn't here at the moment, I'll say the spell, and hopefully your wand does the rest."

Harry nodded eagerly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wand.

"I still don't like this," Cole said stiffly. "There's not a great many of us here…we won't be able to fight off an unexpected enemy, if that's where this leads us."

"As I said before, we have little choice," Dumbledore spoke up as he stood. He made his way around the desk and stood between Cole and Sirius. "Let us see what happens when the spell is cast, and then we will decide what to do."

"Fair enough," Sirius replied with a nod. Cole seemed a bit apprehensive still, but nodded stiffly as well.

"Ready?" Sirius asked, looking again to his godson.

"Ready." Harry replied, determinedly.

"Then here we go," Sirius replied. He looked at the tip of Harry's wand intently, and took a deep breath, before speaking the words.

"Apertum tabula."

Nothing happened.

Harry's wand didn't light up, nor did it try to lead him anywhere, it remained still. He sighed in frustration, dropping his wand back into his pocket.

"That's it then, I guess…" he said with a shrug. "She's already used it."

Sirius cursed vehemently under his breath as he turned away from Harry, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Hermione spoke up tentatively. "Another type of spell, maybe?"

"We can try summoning it," Ron suggested, hopefully.

"Unless she has it in a drawer or a trunk of some sort," Sirius said absently. It won't work if that's the case…and I find it highly doubtful she'd just leave it out in the open."

"Well it wouldn't hurt to try, right?" Ron persisted, looking earnestly at Sirius.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Cole spoke up softly, his voice sounding strangely suspicious. Everyone in the room turned to look at him, questioningly.

"Do you have a better idea?" Harry inquired, cautiously.

Cole didn't answer him, however, his eyes were fixed on Marzia.

"Maybe you should take your wand out so all of us can have a look at it," he said icily. Harry's eyes fell immediately to Marzia's robes, and could see a soft glow brimming over the top of one of her pockets. He glanced up quickly to see the shock registered on her face, but she took the wand out obligingly.

The tip was glowing brightly, and her arm became outstretched as an invisible force began to pull the wand forward, trying to lead her.

"Been up to our dorm lately?" Ron asked quietly, glaring distrustfully at Marzia.

"No," she murmured softly, looking as if she wanted to say more, but the words wouldn't come. Harry looked at her carefully; all of his convictions that Marzia was against them were now trembling precariously on the edge of a knife. He still had his suspicions, but they were nowhere near as firm as they had been.

Sirius seemed to be at a loss for words as well, it was obvious he still didn't think Marzia to be guilty of anything, but he couldn't come up with anything in her defense for this. Her word that she was innocent was all they had to go on, and at this moment that didn't mean much.

"Shall we go and find this map then?" Cole asked, now his turn to throw Sirius a smug look. "The students will be staying here, of course, now that we know they aren't needed."

"But…" Harry began.

"Yes I think that's best," Dumbledore spoke firmly. "I want the four of you to wait here until we return," he continued, looking pointedly at the students. They nodded in unison, not having any other choice.

"Marzia," Cole said flatly, stepping aside and gesturing for her to pass. "Lead the way."

Harry watched as the four adults left the office together, before lowering himself into the nearest chair, sighing loudly.

"She probably doesn't need the wand to show them where the map is anyway," Ron spoke up from the seat next to him. "She's the one who took it…"

"We don't know that," Harry said quickly.

"Oh c'mon Harry!" Ron said, looking frustrated. "You said yourself you thought she was Saaneeraa…and all the strange things that keep happening around her just proves that point…this especially!"

"But it's too much," Harry said quietly. "All the things that happened before could go either way…it was all very suspicious, but Sirius is right, it didn't prove anything."

"But this does prove she's guilty," Ron replied earnestly. "She used the map…"

"She looked very surprised to see her wand lit," Harry cut in.

"Well of course she did," Ron said matter-of-factly. "She wouldn't just come right out and tell us she took it, she had to act that way."

"No I don't think so," Harry said shaking his head stubbornly.

"I think Harry's right Ron," Hermione spoke up gently. "Everything up until now was debatable, this would be complete proof that Marzia is guilty, and I don't think Saaneeraa would be dumb enough to let that happen."

"Exactly," Harry nodded. "I think someone is trying to make it look like it's Marzia. So we don't suspect them."

"Who?" Ron asked, throwing his hands up in the air.

"If I knew that we wouldn't be having this discussion," Harry answered, sounding equally exasperated.

"So lets not sit here and fight about it," Ginny cut in suddenly. The others turned to look at her as she continued, lowering her voice. "Lets just wait and see what they find."

Harry nodded his agreement, grateful for Ginny's interruption, and settled back in his chair to wait.

It wasn't long before Dumbledore slipped quietly back into his office, followed by Cole, Sirius and a very sullen looking Marzia.

"Did you find it?" Harry asked anxiously, standing up as they entered.

Sirius nodded faintly, an unreadable expression on his face. He pulled an old piece of parchment out of his robes, and handed it to Harry, who immediately recognized it as the map.

"Where was it?" he asked gently, sensing something was wrong.

"In our quarters," Marzia answered him, her voice devoid of feeling. "In my bureau."

"Someone put it there," Sirius spoke up crisply, looking directly at Dumbledore.

"And I think it's clear who that someone is," Cole said evenly. Harry could see his godfather becoming silently enraged, his hands were balled into fists and he was glaring daggers at Cole.

"I am sorry to say," Dumbledore spoke firmly before anything else could be said, his tone grave. "That due to the events of this evening, Marzia will have to leave the grounds."

"You can't ask her to do that!" Sirius said angrily, his eyes flashing at the headmaster.

"I'm not asking her," Dumbledore said shortly. "I'm telling her. For the safety of…"

"No it isn't…you're sending away someone who's helping to keep the school safe!" Sirius cut in.

"Sirius this is not a topic for debate," Dumbledore said firmly. "My decision has been made." He turned to Marzia then, his expression softening faintly. "I'm afraid you will need to leave tonight, I cannot allow…"

"I understand," Marzia said quietly, meeting the headmaster's gaze. "I'll get my things…"

"I'll go with you," Cole said before Marzia could take even one step towards the door.

"She doesn't need an escort," Sirius said, his voice dangerously low as he turned to face Cole.

"No I think it's best Cole does go," Dumbledore said quickly. Sirius looked as if he might turn on the headmaster again when Marzia reached out a hand, grasping his arm.

"It's okay Sirius…this is for the best right now," she whispered, looking up at him sadly.

"This isn't right," Sirius began furiously, but Marzia raised her other hand, pressing a finger to his lips.

"I'm not going to fight like this, let it be for now," she said softly. "Please?"

Sirius stared back at her, looking long and hard into her eyes, the love he felt for her reflected clearly in his, before nodding once, grudgingly.

"I'll find who did this," he whispered to her. "I promise."

She nodded faintly, trying to give him a reassuring smile, before dropping her arms to her side, and turning to Cole.

"Let's go," he said flatly, already starting for the door.

"I'm coming too," Sirius said abruptly.

"No I need to speak with you Sirius," Dumbledore began.

"It can wait," Sirius shot back harshly, barely throwing a glance at the headmaster as he started for the door as well.

"No, it cannot," Dumbledore replied in a darkly authoritative tone. "I need to speak with you now."

"It's alright," Marzia said quickly, as Sirius opened his mouth to argue again. "Please, I'll be fine, stay and talk." She turned away from him quickly this time, following Cole through the door before another argument could be made.

"Why are you letting her go?" Ron spoke up suddenly. "Shouldn't we keep her here? She could do anything now that…"

"I have my reasons Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said firmly, a small smile on his lips. "Now I think it's time you head back to your common room, I need to speak with Sirius and Harry."

"Me?" Harry asked, hearing his name.

"Yes," Dumbledore chuckled. "You, unless you have more pressing issues?"

"No…no I'll stay," Harry said, curiously.

"We'll see you later Harry," Hermione called as the others headed for the door. Harry called out good-bye to his friends, before turning back to the headmaster, and a very angry looking Sirius.

"If both of you would please have a seat," Dumbledore began, his tone becoming serious. "There's something we need to talk about."

Harry lowered himself into the nearest chair, looking from the headmaster to his godfather, who still appeared ready to explode.

"Albus," Sirius began, not bothering to hide the anger in his voice. "How can you even think that…?"

"Sirius please let me speak," Dumbledore cut him off before he could get any further giving the other man a pointed stare. "I believe Marzia is entirely innocent."

"You…you do?" Sirius asked, taking a step back, his expression going from angry, to shocked, and finally, confused. "Then…why…?"

"Please, sit," Dumbledore spoke gently. "I will explain everything."

Sirius nodded faintly, lowering himself into the chair next to Harry's, looking entirely bewildered.

"Harry," Dumbledore went on, turning to the younger man. "Would you kindly take the map out for us."

Harry nodded quickly, pulling the piece of parchment back out of his pocket, opening it, and placing it on the headmaster's desk. Taking his wand and aiming it at the map, he spoke the words to activate it, and in seconds, the hallways of Hogwart's were laid out before them.

Dumbledore scanned the parchment briefly, before reaching forward and pointing at a particular spot.

"There," he said softly.

Harry and Sirius both leaned forward in their seats to see what the headmaster was showing them.

"Cole and Marzia," Harry said absently. "Walking to her quarters."

"Exactly," Sirius said, a triumphant grin on his face. "Cole and Marzia…not Cole and Saaneeraa."

"Then why are we sending her away?" Harry asked, looking back to Dumbledore. Sirius glanced up eagerly as well.

"There are a few reasons for that, Harry," the headmaster spoke seriously, a grim expression etched into his features. "It seems to me, that someone is trying quite hard to make all of us believe Marzia is entirely untrustworthy. Saaneeraa is very close, I'm certain of that if nothing else, she can use her powers on whomever she chooses at any given time. I sent Marzia away because now the person she was relying on as a front is gone. As far as everyone here knows, the threat is gone for the moment. If Saaneeraa does something now, it will prove Marzia's innocence, which I don't believe the true culprit wants just yet."

"So then everything might calm down for a bit…" Sirius spoke up suddenly. "Everyone that knows about Saaneeraa will believe she's gone and the true Saaneeraa can't use her powers without the possibility of exposing herself."

"Well I can't say that she'll expose herself, I believe she'd more than likely try to pin her actions on someone else again. But she thinks we'll be letting our guard down, now that Marzia is gone, and it is quite plausible that she may become overconfident…"

"And mess up," Sirius added with a smirk. "We'd know exactly who she is…"

"Then what?" Harry asked quietly, causing both men to turn towards him. "When we know who she is…do we know how to stop her too?"

"That I do not know," Dumbledore spoke gravely. "If we had the support of the ministry as was the case all those years ago, there would be a much better chance. But as the entire ministry seems to have vanished without a trace…I cannot be certain of our chances…"

"We have no way to find out what happened to them?" Harry asked quietly. Dumbledore shook his head slowly.

"No, I'm afraid not. I have sent many owls in search of several ministers, all returned, the letters still unopened. I will not leave the school right now to search on my own, as there are too many strange occurrences…nor will I send someone to do so. At this time we need every ally we have at the school, for everyone's safety."

Harry nodded softly, showing he understood the reasons, though he would feel better if the ministry were able to be reached. They would surely be able to convince at least some of the ministers to join them in their fight against Voldemort…

"So what do we do now?" Harry asked, looking from the headmaster to his godfather and back.

"Now we continue with our regular affairs," Dumbledore said firmly. "Do not speak of anything that's been said here today to anyone…not even Ron, Hermione and Ginny," the headmaster added, looking pointedly at Harry. "This stays between the three of us, the less people that know we are aware Marzia was framed, the less chance we have of Saaneeraa discovering we know so. I couldn't even allow Marzia, herself to know what was going on…this must be a complete secret."

"I understand," Harry said quietly. "I won't tell anyone."

"Neither will I," Sirius added with a brief nod.

"Good," Dumbledore replied. "Then that is all for now. I think it's time you return to your common room Harry…will you escort him, Sirius?"

"Of course," Sirius nodded, standing up as did Harry.

"I will inform both of you if any new information is discovered…" Dumbledore continued, "and please if either of you finds anything come to me immediately. We will give the appearance that we are no longer concerned…but we must remain constantly on watch…for anything."

The three agreed to find the others with anything new, before Harry closed the map quickly. He hadn't noticed Saaneeraa's name on there at all, as he'd been scanning it throughout the conversation. He supposed she must not be in the school at all times, and wished he knew when she'd be returning. Saying good-bye to the headmaster, Harry and Sirius left the office together, and headed for the Gryffindor tower.

Several days passed with no sign of anything suspicious, which Harry expected after the talk with Dumbledore. Ron seemed very happy that Marzia was gone, as did Ginny. Hermione still felt Harry had made the better point and thought it was unfair they'd told Marzia to leave. Harry wanted to explain the truth to them several times, but knew he couldn't. He'd promised Dumbledore it would be a secret, and he wasn't going to break his word.

The end of the week came quickly and so did their double potions with the Slytherins. Harry normally would have thought this to be the worst luck in the world, to have potions as the last class before the weekend, but with Gazten as the instructor, it really hadn't been so bad.

The first half of the lesson that day was a lecture. Gazten was explaining the components necessary to complete the potion they were going to start on during the second part of class, and what the possible outcomes could be, if they were to mix them in the wrong order or amounts. The potions and serums they were learning as seventh years were far more dangerous than any they'd used in previous years. But as seventh years they were expected to have the maturity to handle things as adults.

"Alright," Gazten said when she'd finished her explanation. "We're going to take a few minutes to prepare the ingredients, before all of you are going to find a partner to work with. I will need you to pair up due to the time it takes for one person to prepare…two of you working on the same set of ingredients will allow for us to complete our potions in one class."

Harry glanced to his left where Ron was sitting, about to ask if he wanted to work together, when Gazten spoke again.

"One other thing," she continued quickly. "I want you to work with someone from the other house. Each pair should be one Gryffindor and one Slytherin."

Immediately the classroom erupted in a mixing of groans and protests. No one fancied the idea of working with someone they looked at as a rival…an enemy, but Gazten shook her head stubbornly.

"In the real world you're going to be forced to work with people you don't like. You may as well start getting used to it now. It'll be good for you. Now, everyone choose a partner, we need to get started."

Harry stood up and looked around, at a sea of dismal faces, wondering if he should attempt to ask Malfoy. They weren't even close to being friends, but they had worked together before, and had at least gotten to the point where they could force themselves to act civil if necessary. But as he started to make his way towards Draco, someone stepped in front of him.

"Would you be my partner?" Mel asked quickly, a small grin on her face.

Harry stared at her for a moment, unsure. He hadn't spoken to her since right after she'd gotten Ginny in trouble and wasn't even sure Mel still wanted to speak to him after he left abruptly, but here she was.

"Sure," he said after a moment, hesitantly returning the smile.

"Great," she replied pleasantly. "We can use my desk, if that's alright…"

"Yeah, that's fine," Harry said quickly, turning around and reaching for his things. He glanced quickly at Ron and Hermione, who were both watching the discussion taking place, but neither of them said anything, for which Harry was glad.

"Let's go," he said, turning back to Mel, who nodded once, before turning and leading the way back to her desk.

Harry set his things down on one side of the desk before both he and Mel turned their attention back to Gazten. Everyone had chosen their partners quickly enough without too much fuss, and were listening for what Gazten wanted them to do now.

After she'd gone through the instructions once more, making sure everyone understood how to handle the ingredients properly, Gazten told the class to begin, and that she'd be walking around to keep an eye on their progress.

At first, neither Harry nor Mel spoke. Both of them began working intently on the task at hand, knowing that if they made a mistake the outcome could be messy. Harry sliced absently at the wormsroot in front of him as Mel was skinning the hair off the spider legs, but as he finished with the first plant, he couldn't stay quiet any longer, and turned to look at Mel.

"I'm sorry if I seemed angry with you last time we spoke," he said quietly, so as not to draw Gazten's attention.

"Don't apologize," Mel said quickly, not lifting her gaze. "You didn't seem angry…you were angry. There's a difference."

"Well…er…yes, you're right…but…" Harry stammered, not sure how to proceed.

"But I'm sorry for making you angry," Mel continued; now looking up into his eyes. She smiled warmly, before continuing, "and I'm sorry I got Ginny in trouble…if she is in trouble…what ended up happening anyway?"

"She's got detention tomorrow night, she can't use her pass to the restricted section anymore and Gryffindor lost twenty-five points," Harry said all in one breath.

"Oooh…I'm good," Mel said, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"Hey!" Harry cried, a mixture of shock and amusement on his face.

"Kidding!" Mel said quickly, trying to stifle a laugh. "Just kidding…I really didn't mean for all of that to happen…"

"And I'm sure you're truly broken up over our house losing points," Harry said, rolling his eyes, but smirking.

"Well okay, no…but I still feel bad I got her detention…"

"You could always tell Madam Pince what really happened," Harry said lightly, a knowing smile on his face.

Mel seemed to be considering this for a moment, her head cocked to one side in thought, before quickly straightening up and meeting Harry's gaze directly.

"Um…no," she said curtly before turning back to her work. "That's not going to happen."

"Yeah I figured as much," Harry said with a sigh.

"Are you mad at me?" Mel asked, glancing over her shoulder as Harry turned back to his ingredients as well.

"Honestly…no," he replied as he began cutting again. "I probably should be…but I'm not."

"Oh," Mel said, sounding slightly confused. She shrugged it off, however, and once again turned back to the spider legs. "Good."

Harry chuckled to himself, not really sure why all of this seemed so amusing to him, but glad for it. It was nice to laugh; as it wasn't often he got to do it lately.

They continued on with their work, peeling, slicing, draining, clipping, and grounding. Harry was looking through his notes once everything had been prepared, and was going to tell Mel which one to mix in first, when suddenly a loud explosion sounded from the other side of the room.

Harry spun around to see a large cloud of smoke hovering over Ron's cauldron, but couldn't make out anyone nearby to see if his friend was alright.

Gazten hurried over immediately, she raised her hand and the smoke evaporated into thin air. Ron was doubled over in a coughing fit, while Malfoy stood nearby, his hands over his nose and mouth in an effort to block out the smoke that was now gone.

"You're such a stupid git, Weasley," Malfoy muttered angrily, dropping his hands to his sides as soon as the air was clear. "If you would have listened to me instead of…"

"If I would have listened to you we'd all be dead now!" Ron choked out, still trying to catch his breath.

"Well we came right close now, didn't we?" Malfoy shot back, taking a step towards him.

"I don't know why I agreed to work like a piece of scum like you in the first place," Ron spoke, straining to keep his voice calm.

"Enough, both of you," Gazten said absently. She was hearing the entire conversation, but wasn't completely paying attention, as she was busy inspecting the failed potion, or what remained of it.

The class was silent as Gazten picked up a ladle from Ron's desk, and lowered it into the muck, scooping out what wasn't stuck to the insides of the cauldron.

"Who added the horklump bristles?" she asked after barely a minute had passed.

"I did," Ron mumbled, his face going red.

"Did you put them in one at a time as the directions state?" she asked.

"No he threw them all in at…"

"Mr. Malfoy I don't believe I was speaking to you," Gazten cut him off curtly, barely giving him a sideways glance before fixing her gaze on Ron once more. Draco's snide grin faltered slightly, but he shut his mouth.

"I put them all in at once," Ron said quietly, his face now bright red.

Gazten closed her eyes, shaking her head faintly and sighing, before looking back at Ron.

"I'm not going to ask why you did that, as I'm sure I have a good guess as it is, but what you did could have easily been avoided if you would both work together and follow the directions. Five points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"What!" Malfoy shouted, an outraged expression on his face. "But I didn't…"

"The point of having you work with a partner is for you to work together, if one of you makes a mistake it reflects poorly on both of you. Now I want the two of you to bring your cauldron in back and clean it out, you won't be able to complete the potion today so you'll have to make it up, I'll talk with you after class to schedule a time for that."

Draco and Ron glared darkly at one another but neither one spoke up to argue. They dragged the cauldron off towards the back, and Gazten watched them carefully until they'd begun to clean it, before turning back to the other students.

"Everyone back to work," she said with a grin. "Show's over. Now I don't want anyone rushing, but please don't waste any of the remaining time."

Harry glanced back at Ron and Draco for a brief moment, before turning back to the ingredients in front of him.

"Where were we?" he asked.

"Well I think we're putting in the lobalug sprouts first, right?" Mel asked, leaning over Harry's shoulder to read the notes. "See, right there," she went on, reaching down and pointing at a certain spot on the parchment. Harry turned his head slightly, seeing how close Mel was standing to him, but didn't step away. She smelled so sweet, and he could feel her hair brush against his face as he turned. When she moved back suddenly he started.

"Earth to Harry…you there?" she asked jokingly.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly. "I lost my concentration for a minute there…"

"Not a good idea right now, unless you wanna join our friends back there," she replied, jerking her thumb towards Ron and Draco.

"Agreed," he grinned, shaking himself of his previous thoughts and turning back to his notes. "Lobalug sprouts, two at a time," he said firmly.

"You got it," Mel replied, as she began adding the ingredients.

Harry turned once more while he waited for Mel to finish, and glanced back at Ron, only to find he was looking right back at him.

"What on earth possessed you to work with Malfoy?" Harry asked as Ron finally emerged from the potions classroom. Draco could still be heard inside, arguing with Gazten, even though it was very much in vain.

"He's the one who asked me," Ron said grudgingly.

"Why?" Harry asked, confused.

"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?" Hermione spoke up as they began walking. "The only Gryffindors that might possibly accept him as a partner would be the three of us…and maybe Neville. Now we know how he feels about me, Neville," she paused, hesitant to continue, "well, he's not the best person to have as a partner in potions…"

"Yeah well at least his didn't explode," Ron muttered, then looked over at Harry. "And you rushed off before he could ask you…which it looked like he was going to."

"Yeah…I was going to ask him too," Harry said absently.

"What were you and Mel talking about?" Ron asked quickly.

Harry looked at Ron carefully, raising his eyebrow questioningly.

"Why did you mess up, Ron?" he asked quietly. "We've both worked together on potions in the past, but I've never seen you mess up that badly before…"

"Draco was distracting me," Ron shrugged angrily.

"Is that all that was distracting you?" Harry persisted.

Ron didn't answer, but instead, repeated his question.

"What were you and Mel talking about, Harry?"

Harry sighed inaudibly, shaking his head.

"She told me she was sorry for getting Ginny in trouble," he said at last.

"Is she?" Ron asked, a hint of bitterness in his tone. "Why hasn't she told Ginny yet…or even better…why hasn't she told Madam Pince the truth?"

"She's not going to tell Madam Pince," Harry replied quickly. "I'm sure she'll tell Ginny when she sees her."

"Wait…she's not going to tell the truth? Why?" Ron asked angrily.

"Ron," Harry began, feeling frustrated, "I'm not going to argue with you about this…I can't force her to do it, and let's be honest if the tables were turned would you tell the truth to get Mel out of trouble?"

Ron opened his mouth to reply, an indignant expression on his face, but he closed it quickly and looked away.

"Exactly," Harry said.

They reached the portrait hole and entered the common room quickly to drop off their things before dinner. Ginny joined them before they left again, and started for the great hall.

"So is that all you talked about?" Ron asked curiously.

"Ron," Harry began, exasperated. "I'm not asking you for all the details of your conversation with Draco…"

"Believe me you wouldn't want them anyway," Ron interrupted, looking suddenly disgusted.

"You talked with Draco?" Ginny spoke up, looking questioningly at her brother.

"I was stuck working with him in potions, actually," Ron replied rolling his eyes. "But only because Harry went off with Mel before Malfoy could ask him…"

"Oh," Ginny said softly. "Did she say anything?" she asked gently, looking up at Harry.

"She apologized for getting you in trouble," Harry replied with a small grin.

"Oh," Ginny said again. "That's nice."

"Is that really all you talked about?" Ron asked again, obviously not giving up.

"Next time I'll be sure to take notes so you can read through and see exactly what was said…would that make it easier for you?" Harry asked, sardonically.

"Yes that'd be fine," Ron replied flatly.

Harry rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself.

"We didn't talk about anything," he said with a shrug. "We were too busy working on the potion."

"But you spoke to her when you finished, I saw you…" Ron said quickly.

Harry bit his tongue before he could make a snide comment in reply, and waited a moment before speaking again.

"Yes we did talk after we finished," he said quietly, continuing on before the next question could be asked. "And we're going to hang out tomorrow night."

Ron, surprisingly, had no response to this. He looked at Harry for a moment, before turning his gaze straight in front of him.

"Will you do one thing then," Ginny spoke up tentatively, "when you're with her tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, curiously as he met Ginny's gaze.

"Will you please just ask her about the letters? See what she'll tell you about them…if she'll tell you about them."

"Actually that really isn't a bad idea Harry," Hermione spoke up after having remained silent through most of the discussion. "It won't hurt to ask."

Harry looked back and forth between Ginny and Hermione, before smiling faintly.

"Alright," he said. "I'll ask her. If that will stop the constant barrage of questions each time I mention her name…I'll ask her."

"Thank you," Ginny replied, allowing a small smile to cross her lips as well. Harry just shook his head. He knew his friends cared for him, but he wished they would at least realize that Mel was his friend, and their opinion of her wasn't going to change that.

They reached the great hall soon enough and Harry shook the thoughts from his head as they made their way towards the Gryffindor table. Ginny and Hermione were chatting cheerfully with one another, and even Ron seemed to have lightened up a bit. Harry sighed contentedly as he sat down for dinner. Everything seemed to be coming back around to normal.

The next day, Harry slept in as long as possible, as even on weekends he didn't often get to do so anymore. When he finally pulled himself out of bed and got a look at his watch, he was shocked to discover it was almost noon. Getting changed quickly, remembering to call on the crystal, and hurrying down the stairs, he found Ron, Hermione and Ginny getting ready to leave for lunch.

"It's about time," Ron said with a smirk as Harry joined his friends. "We were wondering if you were going to get up at all today."

"Well you could've woken me," Harry said as they stepped through the portrait hole and started for the great hall.

"Nah, you needed it," Ron said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Hermione looked towards him sharply, one eyebrow arched curiously.

"He needed it, ey?" she asked sardonically.

"Oh alright," Ron continued quickly, rolling his eyes. "I wanted to wake you up, but Hermione wouldn't let me."

Harry glanced at Ron, trying to stifle a laugh at his last comment, and shook his head, grinning.

"Well thank you Hermione," Harry said at last, smiling at her. "But I'm actually surprised Cole didn't come get me…or Allison."

"Why?" Ginny asked softly.

"I've had this artist crystal for a week now," Harry replied. "It hasn't said anything at all. I see the purple mist, so I know it's there…but it won't say anything."

"Then you should go ask him right away," Hermione said seriously. "What if something's wrong? You can't let it go without being sure of…"

"Hermione," Harry said, laughing faintly. "Calm down, it's alright. If anything I would assume it's because I don't relate well with this crystal."

"But are you certain that's what it is?" Hermione persisted.

"Well…no, but…"

"Then you have to go talk to him. If something is wrong you can't let it continue."

"Okay, I give," Harry said, holding his hands up defensively and smirking. "I'll talk to Cole right after breakfast."

"Good," Hermione nodded, looking somewhat relieved.

When breakfast was finished, Harry made his way quietly down to Snape's office. He wasn't sure where else to look for Cole or Gazten and figured this would be as good a place as any to start. Just as he was turning the last corner, he heard someone call his name from behind.

Turning around, he smiled warmly and began walking back up the hall.

"I was just looking for you two," he said as he neared Cole and Allison.

"And here we are," Cole replied with a grin. "Did you need something?"

"Well, I'm not sure actually," he began. "You never came this morning to tell me which crystal I'd be using next…"

"Yes I know," Cole began quickly. "I was going to check on your progress with the artist stone today, and decide if you were going to start on a new one or not for tomorrow. So, since you're here now…how has this week been? Any problems with the crystal?"

"Well…no…" Harry said. "Not unless you count it not speaking at all as a problem."

Cole nodded thoughtfully, as Allison's eyes narrowed in puzzlement.

"You are going to let him continue with the next one, right?" she asked. Harry glanced at her curiously as she spoke. She sounded almost persistent when she'd spoken, and was looking intently at her uncle.

"If he hasn't gotten any response at all from this stone, I don't think it's a good idea for him to move on yet," Cole replied absently, not meeting Allison's gaze. She looked as if she wanted to say more, but held her tongue and looked away, nodding once.

"So, is it bad then?" Harry asked. "That I haven't talked to the crystal?"

"Not bad, Harry," Cole answered quickly. "But it wouldn't be a good idea to move on without you hearing from it at least once. I'm going to let it go for another day or so, and I'll check in with you regularly to see if you've made any progress."

"Is there anything I can do to make it talk?" Harry asked.

"Don't try to make it do anything," Cole replied evenly. "Just go about your normal business, and we will see what happens."

"Alright," Harry replied nodding. "Thanks."

They said good-bye to each other, Allison still looking slightly perturbed, but Harry didn't think too hard on it. After all, Cole must know a lot more about all of this than she ever would; it was only natural for her to be confused now and again.

He set off through the halls, back towards the Gryffindor tower.

The day passed quickly enough, and soon Harry was getting ready to leave the common room and meet up with Mel. Ginny was heading for the portrait hole just as he was about to leave, as it was the night of her detention with Madam Pince.

"Sorry," he winced, seeing the sulky expression on her face as they stepped through together.

"Don't be," Ginny replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm not mad at you, and it isn't your fault I have detention anyway."

"Well you still shouldn't be going…" he began, trailing off as she looked up at him sharply.

"Look let's just not talk about it," Ginny said quickly. "I don't want to be in any worse of a mood than I already am for this, as Madam Pince really doesn't like me very much as it is."

"I'm sure she still likes you," Harry said hastily.

"Still?" Ginny repeated with a laugh. "I didn't think she liked any of us, and as of right now, I'm on the top of her bad list."

"She'll get over it," Harry said, laughing with her. "I'm sure there'll be someone else grating on her nerves in a week, and you're despicable crime will be forgotten."

"Oh stop," Ginny said rolling her eyes. "It wasn't that bad." She shook her head with a small grin on her face, before her expression became serious, and slightly apologetic. "And if you don't mind, I'd rather we split up now. I don't really want to be with you when you meet up with Mel, if you don't mind."

"Oh," Harry said, taken aback for a moment. But he did understand why she felt this way, and nodded gently. "Sure, I don't mind at all. I'll see you when you get back tonight, alright?"

"Alright," Ginny nodded with a smirk. "And please remember to ask Mel…"

"About the letters," Harry finished with a knowing smile. "I know, I know, don't worry about it."

"Well I had to make sure," Ginny said, returning the smile. "It wouldn't be the first time you'd forgotten something…" she trailed off, a mischievous glint in her eyes as his jaw dropped, in mock stun. "See you later," she called as she quickly turned the next corner, without waiting for a reply. Harry chuckled to himself as he watched her go, glad that she wasn't angry at him, and hoping everything went well for her, or as well as could be expected, at least.

"About time you got here," Mel joked as Harry finally came into around the corner to the kitchen entrance. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten."

"Couldn't happen," Harry replied with a wink, "no matter how hard I may try…"

"Heeeey," Mel said swatting his arm, playfully. "I heard that."

"Well of course you did," Harry went on, innocently. "You're standing right there," he gestured with his hands towards her.

He smiled sweetly at the sardonic expression that crossed her face before clearing his throat firmly.

"Well I'm hungry, are you hungry?…I'm hungry. Shall we go in then?"

Mel just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"You're gonna be so much fun tonight…I can tell," she said sardonically.

"What? You mean I'm not always?" Harry asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Alright, let's go," Mel said laughing. "I'll like you much better when you have food in your mouth…at least then I won't be able to understand you…as if I do anyway."

She reached up a finger as she spoke and tickled the pear, which made the portrait swing open, just as Harry opened his mouth to reply.

"You coming?" she asked pleasantly, before stepping through without waiting for his answer. Harry laughed to himself as he followed her through into the kitchen, where one of the many house-elves swiftly ran over to them.

"Hello young mistress and master!" she spoke excitedly. "What can Linri do for you?"

Harry and Mel exchanged brief glances, before going though their now familiar request for food. The other house-elves immediately snapped to attention, bringing them more choices than even a room full of students could handle, and waited eagerly for Harry and Mel to make their decisions.

"Thank you," Mel said politely when they'd finished, and the house-elves began to take away the platters that weren't chosen. She began to turn away, but stopped when she realized Harry wasn't coming yet. He had leant down to speak to the elf that had originally greeted them, Linri.

"I was wondering if you could help me with one more thing," he began curiously.

"Yes sir, yes sir young master, what is it you wish of Linri?" the small elf asked excitedly.

"I was wondering if you or anyone else here, has seen or heard from Dobby…you know who Dobby is, right?" he asked, hopefully.

Linri nodded happily.

"Linri knows Dobby, yes she does!"

"Do you know where he is?" Harry asked.

The house-elves smile faltered slightly, and she began to look around the room rapidly, searching.

"Linri does not know young master," she said sadly.

"It's alright Linri," Harry said, trying not to laugh as it might hurt her feelings. He smiled warmly at her as he stood. "If you do see him, could you tell him Harry was looking for him?"

"Linri will tell him for you, yes sir young master!" Linri spoke, once again overly excited.

"Thank you Linri," Harry replied with a nod. Turning at last, he joined Mel who was waiting for him by the portrait hole, and the two of them left the kitchen together.

"You're barely touching your food at all," Mel spoke up lightly, a touch of concern in her voice. They had settled on one of the old charms classrooms on the fourth floor and were sitting across from each other at one of the short desks.

"I guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought," Harry shrugged, trying to brush it off. The truth was he was worried about Dobby. He hadn't seen or heard from him, and Dumbledore hadn't been able to find him either. He'd even remembered to check the Marauder's Map this time, but Dobby's name was nowhere to be found. He kept telling himself that he was just having bad luck and looking at times when Dobby may be out of the school for a short while, but the excuse felt weak at best.

"Something on your mind?" Mel asked gently, a warm expression on her face.

Harry seemed to consider a moment, before smiling faintly and shaking his head.

"Nothing you need to worry about," he said softly. "Everything's fine, really."

Harry could see just by the glint in Mel's eyes that she knew he wasn't telling him the truth, but she nodded.

"Alright," she said quietly, smirking at him. "How about a brighter topic then…how's quidditch practice going?"

"Well we've only had one so far," Harry began, "but it went really well for not having been out there in a while. Ginny is back on her old broom of course, which is really the only big hindrance right now, but she handles it great in spite of that."

"Well good for her," Mel said sincerely, before continuing, animatedly. "I can't wait for the first match…I know Sara's excited too. Her first game as seeker was not the most idyllic…but she's actually quite anxious to get back out there and do it again."

"I hadn't even thought of that," Harry said in surprise. "I mean I knew it was her first game…but I'd forgotten in all that happened…that must've been horrible for her. If my first quidditch match as seeker had gone like that I don't know if I would've stayed on the team."

"I rather think you would have," Mel replied with a wide grin. "You love this game more than most people I know…"

"Oh and how would you know that?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling. "You barely know me at all…"

"I can just tell," Mel said with a shrug. "I'm psychic…didn't I tell you that once already? Yes I think I did, obviously you weren't paying attention…" she joked, feigning annoyance as she rolled her eyes.

"Ah yes," Harry said, laughing, "your psychic powers, how could I have forgotten about those?"

"Meh, you're a guy," Mel said with an arrogant wave of her hand. "I'll forgive you for that…just this once…"

"Wait…forgive me for forgetting or forgive me for being a guy?" Harry asked.

"Both," Mel replied flatly, keeping a straight face. "They go hand in hand I'd say…"

"Oh gee thanks for that," Harry said, rolling his eyes and laughing.

"Anytime," Mel said with a wink, finally smiling back at him, before continuing. "So…you grew up with muggles, right?"

"Yes, that I did," Harry nodded, preferring not to think of the Dursley's any more than he absolutely had to.

"Well did you play any muggle sports before you came to Hogwart's?" she asked.

"Er…well…I uh, ran a lot…" Harry said with an embarrassed shrug.

"You…ran a lot?" Mel repeated, not quite sure why he seemed upset about saying this. "Was it for a particular reason…to stay in shape, maybe?"

"You could say that," Harry answered slowly.

"Okaaay," Mel said, seeing this was getting her nowhere. "But did you ever play any sports?"

"Only in P.E.," Harry said quickly. "And those weren't any fun."

"P.E.?" Mel repeated faintly, but she shrugged it off before Harry could reply and continued. "So you're telling me you lived with muggles for something like ten years before coming here and you've never played any sports at all?"

"That's what I'm telling you," Harry nodded sheepishly.

"Wow," Mel breathed, obviously surprised.

"Why did you want to know?" Harry inquired curiously.

"Well it's just that you're so good at quidditch…" Mel explained. "I'd assumed you were good at other sports too. But I guess not."

"How is it you know anything about muggle sports?" Harry asked suddenly. "Aren't your parents a witch and a wizard?"

"Pure-blood," Mel replied with a nod. "I've actually seen a few muggle sporting events…but I like the ones where you're not on a team mostly."

"Like what?" Harry asked.

"Like skateboarding…or snowboarding. Dirt-bike riding…things like that, where it's just you and what you're riding."

"I've never done any of those things," Harry said quietly.

"You really have to," Mel replied enthusiastically. "They're so much fun…"

"Wait so you haven't just watched them?" Harry interrupted.

"Well I've never been in a competition or anything but I've actually done them, yes. Maybe I can take you sometime."

Harry looked directly at Mel, smiling faintly at her obvious excitement for the games she was mentioning.

"So tell me, really…how do you know so much about all of this?"

"I…I just do," Mel said with a shrug as she looked away. "I told you I've been to see a few…"

"Yes I heard you," Harry interrupted. "But then who took you? Do your parents like muggle sports too? Or does…"

"No they hate them," Mel cut in abruptly. "Look I'm sorry I brought it up, I thought you might know more about it but I guess not, can we not talk about it anymore?"

Harry narrowed his eyes as he stared at Mel, feeling slightly confused, but he nodded anyway.

"Okay…sure. We don't have to talk about it."

"Thank you," Mel replied with a nod. Harry heard her let out a small sigh, as she pushed her half-empty plate to the side and crossed her arms in front of her on the desk, before resting her head on her hands. He looked at her, not sure what to think. There was no reason that he could think of for her to be so secretive over her knowledge of muggle sports. She was the one who'd brought up the topic in the first place, why the sudden change in attitude?

Sighing inaudibly, Harry realized he still hadn't asked Mel about the letters. He'd been completely set to ask her when the evening had first begun, but now, he wasn't sure it was a good idea. However, his friends would be on his case forever until he did this…and besides, he wasn't asking for any more information the who she was writing to…she didn't need to get into any deep explanations to answer his question.

Clearing his throat softly, he began slowly.

"Mel…there's something I wanted to ask you…"

"Mmm?" she replied, shifting her gaze so it met his. "Sure, what is it?" she asked. Her tone wasn't angry or upset, which made Harry feel somewhat better about continuing.

"I know this is going to sound silly, but I'm actually sort of curious. I run into you so much to and from the owlery, and you send so many letters…I was just wondering who you're sending them all to…"

Mel sat up so abruptly that Harry started. He began to ask what had happened but she shut here eyes and shook her head.

"I have to go," she said, standing up quickly.

"What…why?" Harry stammered, entirely confused.

Mel didn't reply, but instead she moved out from behind the table as Harry began to stand, and almost ran for the door.

"Mel, wait!" Harry called as he got away from the chair he'd been occupying and started after her.

"I'll talk to you later Harry," she called, already out of the room. He ran to the door, intending to go after her, but stopped himself as he shot out into the hall. He could see her down the other end of the corridor just as she turned the corner. She wasn't going to stop for him, and his instincts told him it would be a very bad idea to press her for answers right now. He didn't know what exactly he'd said to bother her so much, but it had to be something big.

Unable to shake the feelings of confusion and frustration, Harry kicked one foot absently against the wall, before sighing heavily, and starting back towards the tower.

Harry couldn't make sense of anything that'd just happened. Try as he might, he couldn't find any reason why his question could have made Mel so upset. If she really didn't want to talk about it, she could've just said that, he wouldn't have pressed her to tell him.

Shaking his head in confusion, he turned the last corner where the portrait of the fat lady came into view, and so did Ginny.

"Hey Harry," she called out as she saw him coming up the hall towards her. "How was your night? You're back earlier than I would've thought."

"So are you," Harry said, his brow furrowing slightly. "Why are you back already? I mean it's great and all but usually detention lasts for…"

"Madam Pince wasn't allowed to keep me late because of Professor Dumbledore," Ginny explained quickly. "He told her I was to be sent back to my tower with a good amount of time left before curfew. So she had to let me leave…sooner than she'd have liked, I'm sure…"

"What did she have you do?" Harry asked as Ginny looked to the portrait and gave the password.

"I'll tell you inside," she said with a grin, "there's something I want to show you…"

Harry arched one eyebrow at her comment, intrigued, and followed her into the common room quickly. They crossed the room, where Ron and Hermione joined them upon seeing them enter, and took their seats in the circle of cushy chairs.

Ginny explained once more why Madam Pince had let her leave so early, before sitting up straight, reaching a hand up under her shirt, and pulling out a folded slip of paper. Unfolding it hastily, she handed it to Hermione, who was looking curiously at the parchment.

"I spent the evening putting away books in the restricted section…probably because you have to use a ladder for most of them, I'm sure. But look at what I found," Ginny said eagerly, gesturing to the sheet in Hermione's hands. "Read what it says…"

Hermione was already scanning the paper absorbedly, her expression unchanging while Harry and Ron looked on. After a moment, she dropped her hands to her lap, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"Interesting," she muttered quietly, before continuing quickly. "Where did you get this?"

"I took it from one of the books," Ginny explained off-handedly.

"You ripped a page from one of the books in the restricted section?" Hermione asked, incredulously.

"Well I couldn't very well hide the entire book under my shirt, now could I?" Ginny replied with a smirk.

"But Ginny you can't just…" Hermione began

"Oh enough already! We'll worry about that later. Are you going to tell us what is says or not?" Ron asked eagerly.

Hermione was looking sternly at Ginny, but finally sighed, shaking her head in disappointment and turning to look at the others.

"It's about the Inquisitors," Hermione said in a hushed voice. "A short bit about their history, it seems…"

Inquisitors are the spirits of the priests of Lendare who have been rewarded by their deity with a transformation into eternal sentinels of law. Lendare is believed to have recognized the quickness with which his civilized realms were infected with all manner of chaos and anarchy. In an effort to maintain order, hierarchy and the rule of law, and to reward his most earnest mortal servants, Lendare added the rank and post of Inquisitor to the chain of command among his non-mortal servants.

Inquisitors are charged with rooting out all manner of chaotic activity within areas where Lendare's lawful touch holds sway. The places in which the Inquisitor operates are many and varied: human cities, dwarven kingdoms under mountains, orc and hobgoblin lairs where hierarchy is respected and deference to one's superiors is the rule.

Inquisitors are masters of manipulation, and victims may find themselves caught up in the Inquisitor's careful plans. Due to their lawfully bent and phenomenal mental capabilities, Inquisitors often build elaborate schemes and countermeasures, of which their allies may only see a small part.

Hermione looked up at the others as she finished reading the small excerpt.

"That's it?" Harry asked, somewhat disappointed. "We already knew they were priests…and that they had mental abilities."

"Maybe we should just stop looking," Ron commented with a sigh. "If that's the best information we're going to find on them."

"Hold on a minute," Ginny said quickly. "I know it doesn't seem like much…but there's one sentence in that tiny little bit which really caught my attention…and it's the reason I took the page in the first place."

"Which one?" Ron asked, curiously.

Ginny opened her mouth to answer but Hermione spoke first.  
"Inquisitors are charged with rooting out all manner of chaotic activity within areas where Lendare's lawful touch holds sway," she said softly.

"Right," Ginny nodded.

Ron shook his head in confusion.

"But how does that…?"

"Lendare doesn't hold any power over Hogwart's," Harry said, "so why would the Inquisitors bother to come here?"

"I don't know," Hermione answered softly. "But it doesn't make any sense…from the way this is written it doesn't sound like Lendare allows others to borrow the use of his servants. It doesn't mean he won't…it just doesn't make it sound that way. If they consider him their god, I would think the Inquisitors will only do as he asks."

"Well Cole must have found a way…" Ron shrugged. "Because they're here, walking through the school as we speak."

"It's still sort of odd though," Harry said absently. "But everything else there seemed to fit what I was told. They didn't go into any detail about the Inquisitors' powers, but that doesn't surprise me, as it's been so hard to find anything on them at all."

"Well maybe we should ask Dumbledore about this?" Ginny suggested, uncertainly.

"We can't," Ron replied, shaking his head. "He doesn't even know that we've been looking all this time…"

"Not to mention you stole the page from a book in the restricted section while you were there for detention," Hermione admonished her sternly.

"We can tell Remus though," Harry said quietly. "He knows what we've been doing, and from the way he sounded when he gave us the passes to start researching, I don't think he'll be too focused on how Ginny got the information. He can ask Dumbledore about it…and we won't get in any trouble."

"Let's hope so," Hermione added, pointedly.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Harry grinned faintly. "Besides I don't really think anything is going to come from this, we don't really know much about Cole yet, so who knows how he got the Inquisitors to agree to come here? However he did it, I think he knows what he's doing…"

Harry looked at the uncertain expressions on his friends' faces, and had to admit he felt a twinge of the same. He did trust Cole, but there were some things about him that just didn't sit well. When Harry had asked about his wand seeming to push away the smoke, he knew Cole had lied to him, not to mention his exceptionally short temper in certain situations. However, he also felt there must be a good explanation, and in time Cole tell him what he needed to know. If Cole were truly against him then he wouldn't be trying to help him.

"I'll tell Remus about it tomorrow," Harry spoke up again. "He can go to Dumbledore with it if he thinks it's necessary."

The others nodded their agreement, none of them seeing any other options for the time being.

"I still think we should keep looking though," Hermione said. "Just in case."  
"Of course you think that," Ron joked, rolling his eyes, and turned to Harry before Hermione could reply.

"Hey, you never told us what happened tonight…with Mel."

"Yeah you're back much earlier than I thought you'd be," Hermione said.

"Did you ask her about the letters?" Ginny piped up.

"Yes," Harry spoke quietly. "I did ask…which is why I'm back early."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

Harry explained briefly what had happened earlier in the evening with Mel, re-telling in short the conversation they'd had, and finishing with her reaction to his question regarding the letters.

"Something's definitely wrong then," Ginny said evenly. "She's not just sending those letters to keep in touch with someone…it sounds like there's an important reason…"

"I know," Harry said. "I probably shouldn't have asked her, not after she already seemed to…I dunno…to stiffen up. I should have waited."

"Unless she's writing those letters to someone who she doesn't want you to know about…then her reaction would've been exactly the same, no matter when you'd asked her," Ron stated firmly.

"But who?" Harry asked. "I don't know anyone that she knows outside of school…I don't understand why it has to be a secret…"

"I can think of one reason," Ron muttered to himself.

"Okay stop right there," Harry said firmly, in a hushed tone. "She is not sending letters to Voldemort. She is not connected with him in anyway. And if she were…do you really think he'd communicate with her through owls? I find that highly doubtful."

"But not entirely unbelievable," Ron stated quickly.

Harry stared at him for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face, before continuing, evenly.

"Actually, entirely unbelievable is exactly the phrase I would use to sum up my feeling on that idea."

"Harry I know you like her, but you can't keep refusing to listen to us just because you don't want to believe what we're saying may, in fact, be true!" Ron said, exasperatedly.

"Ron," Harry began, determinedly. "I'm only refusing to listen now. I've heard your argument on this before, and I feel the same way now as I did then, I don't think Mel is working against me in any way. I don't think she's aligned with Voldemort, I don't think there's anything threatening about the letters she writes, and I don't want to keep having this same discussion each time her name comes up."

He finished speaking and leant back in his chair, a fixed expression on his face.

"Fine," Ron said sharply. "I'll stop trying to convince you she's not on our side when you convince me otherwise."

Harry shook his head at Ron's comment and simply looked away. He could understand the reason his friend didn't trust Mel, as it was hard to know who was trustworthy at all these days. But if only he knew her better, he'd see what she was really like, and he surely wouldn't feel this way then.

"I can't say I don't think there's a possibility she might be working against you, Harry," Hermione spoke up gently then, "But I also think there may be a very believable, non-threatening reason for her reaction too."

"We just don't know what to think of her," Ginny added earnestly. "One minute she seems friendly enough, and the next she's all vindictive…like a…"

"Like a Slytherin?" Harry finished for her, pointedly. "Because that's what she is, and I have to say that I really believe if Mel were acting exactly the same way she is right now, but was in any other house, you all wouldn't be this suspicious of her."

Ron and Ginny kept their eyes down as Harry spoke, but Hermione met his gaze evenly, before starting to speak.

"I don't care what house she's in, Harry…it doesn't make any difference to me at all. But please listen to what I have to say before you reply. We've met a few new people this year. Marzia, Gazten, Cole and Mel. Now going on the assumption that the person working against you is one of these people, then you have to rule out the ones that don't fit. Marzia seemed the most likely suspect at first, but now it seems very clear she was being set up. I know you didn't trust Gazten when she first arrived, but soon we found out she was here to help, as was Cole when he arrived. While we're not used to the way they handle certain situations, they've done nothing but help you in your training. So that leaves Mel, who has been shifty since we met her, ran away when you questioned her about the recipient of her many letters, and all the while has been trying to get closer to you." She paused a moment, before, taking a deep breath, before continuing in a very hushed tone. "I don't care what house she's in Harry, but I won't trust her fully until we know for a fact she's on our side…and I don't want to see her hurt you," she added softly, her eyes glassing over as she spoke.

Harry sat for a moment in silence, feeling both sad and confused. He couldn't explain why he trusted Mel…he'd tried many times, and his friends would keep coming up with arguments for his reasons. Sighing inaudibly, he shook his head faintly and began to talk.

"I guess I'll just have to find a way to prove it to you then," he said quietly. Pushing himself forward, he stood up slowly, and looked at each of his friends in turn. "I'll see you all in the morning, good night."

No one tried to stop him, they each said good night, and Harry turned away from the circle, making his way towards the door for the dorms, and slowly ascending the stairs.

"Harry, c'mon Harry, time to wake up."

Harry rolled over on his side, groaning faintly as he tried to ignore the person shaking his shoulder and calling to him.

"I have no problems with dragging you out of bed by your ankles so I suggest you get a move on," the voice said again, a mischievous hint to its tone.

"Cole?" Harry asked groggily, finally recognizing who it was. "What are you doing here?" He sat up slowly, wiping the sleep out of his eyes, before reaching for his glasses. "Early as usual," Harry commented flatly, noticing the time on his watch.

"You got it," Cole said with a smirk. "Now c'mon, we're gonna get you started on the next crystal today.

Harry nodded absently, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, before realizing exactly what Cole had just said and looking up sharply.

"But…I thought you said…"

"I know what I said," Cole interrupted quickly. "But I've had time to think it over, and I believe this will be best. Now I can't stay long this morning, so just come open your trunk for me so I can make sure you find the focus crystal without any problems."

"Sure," Harry said, confused. He slid off the bed and shuffled over to where Cole was waiting by the chest, before kneeling down next to the keyhole and unlocking it.

"Now," Cole began, kneeling down beside him, "you remember what happened the first time you touched the focus crystal?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "It was the only one that stayed clear, didn't change to a different color."

"Exactly," Cole nodded, smiling. "So when you find it this time, you're not looking for it to glow."

"Right," Harry murmured as he turned his attention to the stones. He raised his right hand, letting it hover over the one he knew was the courage crystal, and waited for it to glow a deep gold, before slowly shifting his hand around above all the others. When he found the only one that didn't glow, he called on it immediately. The crystal burst into nothing, as they all did when called upon, and soon it was floating in the air around him. As there was no color to the crystal when it was activated, it haze resembled the air above any extremely hot surface, slightly out of focus and barely noticeable.

"Very good," Cole said with a nod, standing up quickly. "Let us hope you have better luck with this one…"

"I still hadn't talked to or heard from the artist crystal though," Harry said, closing the lid to the chest and standing as well. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"It shouldn't be a problem, no," Cole replied, shaking his head faintly. "We will come back to it before your training if there is time, and if there isn't, it is very rare to need that particular crystal in battle, so it shouldn't hinder your performance at all."

"What would I use it for?" Harry asked, curiously.

Cole snickered slightly at his question, before replying.

"Everyone needs some enjoyment in life, right? That crystal will bring out your creative side…your artistic side. Most Psions will take advantage of it at some point or another, but it isn't one of the more commonly used stones."

"Oh," Harry said. "Alright. Thanks."

"I'll check in with you during the week to see how you're doing with this one, but right now I really do have to get going."

"Bye," Harry said with a wave as Cole headed for the door. He waited until he heard the click, letting him know it was firmly shut, before turning and heading towards his closet. He glanced longingly at his bed, but decided not to go back to sleep, he wouldn't mind having some time to himself for now anyway. Changing quickly, he walked quietly across the room, and started downstairs.

Harry and his friends spent the day working mostly on homework. The focus crystal proved to be much more eager to communicate with him than the artist crystal. Anytime his mind would begin to drift to other matters, it would snap him back to attention when the stone's voice filled his head, telling him to keep his mind on his work.

Later in the day, when dinner was finished, Harry made his way to Remus' office, and told him what Ginny had found on the Inquisitors. Remus agreed that while it was very thin, it was still worth looking into further. He promised Harry he would bring it up with Dumbledore, and see what the headmaster knew about Lendare, and if he would truly allow the Inquisitors to come to Hogwart's.

The week went on, with no sign of Dobby, and Harry couldn't help but worry, wondering where the poor house-elf could be. While it was normal to not see Dobby for long periods of time in the school, Harry assumed he was always there, doing one thing or another for Dumbledore, but even the headmaster didn't know where he was.

The other person often on Harry's mind was Mel. He hadn't talked to her since Saturday night, and hoped she might come to him, with some explanation for her reaction, but she never did.

By the time Thursday came around, and it was time for Care of Magical Creatures, Harry hoped he might catch Mel after class, before she had a chance to run back to the school.

The students were gathered in their usual groupings in the pen near Hagrid's hut. Since school had started up again after the winter holidays, they had been assigned the task of taking care of baby Jarveys, who were all of one week old when they'd first begun. The small creatures very much resembled ferrets, except that according to Hagrid, Jarveys could be taught how to speak. It was now the second week of February, and the Jarveys were just over one month old.

"This is boring!" Malfoy exclaimed halfway through the class. "It's been a month and this ugly thing hasn't uttered a word. All it does is sleep and eat!"

"Well whadaya 'spect from a baby?" Hagrid asked with a laugh. "An b'sides, yeh certainly aren't takin the best care 'o yours, yeh should treat it with eh bit more kindness."

Malfoy rolled his eyes and looked disgustedly down at the small creature in front of him. It was lying in the small cage that each group had been given for their Jarvey, snoring and shivering.

"He'll cetch cold tha' way. Cover 'im up a bit. Er better yeht, why doncha hold 'im? Le' 'im get used ta yeh."

"I'm not touching it…it smells," Malfoy muttered in revulsion, pushing himself further from the cage to emphasize his point. Crabbe and Goyle, who were partnered with Draco as usual, did the same.

"Fine," Hagrid stated, stiffly. "But if he cetches cold, I promise yeh'll lose a good amount 'a points fer yer house." He gave Malfoy one last pointed stare, before turning and moving on, to see how the rest of the students were doing.

"What a slimy git," Ron muttered, sitting cross-legged on a blanket Hermione had brought out for them to sit on. He, Harry and Hermione were sitting close to each other, with the Jarvey in Ron's lap as he stroked it gently.

"Well it's Malfoy," Harry replied absently. "What'd you expect?" He hadn't truly been paying much attention to the brief spat between Draco and Hagrid; instead, he was trying to figure out what he would say to Mel when he finally got a chance to talk with her, which would hopefully be after class.

You're in class right now, the focus crystal's voice suddenly came through to him, as it had so often lately. You might want to pay attention.

I know, I know, Harry thought back, sighing inaudibly. He turned his attention back to the Jarvey just as Hagrid announced it was time to wake them for feeding.

"Well, that's my cue," Ron said with a smirk, before gently lifting the small creature and holding it out to Hermione.

"Since when is it solely my job to feed him?" she asked, taking the Jarvey and rolling her eyes.

"You have the smallest fingers," Ron said, smiling sweetly at her. "He always ends up biting me."

"Well that has nothing to do with the size of your hands," Hermione said, picking up the roots that were set aside as the Jarvey's food. "You're just too clumsy."

"I am not," Ron replied, feigning insult. "Just ask Harry, it happens to him too."

But Harry wasn't paying attention once again, his mind had drifted back to Mel, and he'd chosen to ignore the crystal's reprimanding this time. He had too many things on his mind right now, and even bigger than his worries about Mel and what was bothering her, was Dobby's whereabouts.

Let's concentrate on one thing at a time, the crystal came through again. Dobby first.

Harry nodded absently, waiting for it to continue, realizing it had switched tracks. Once Harry had decided what he wanted to concentrate on, the crystal had instantly picked up on it.

Dobby was quite obviously very scared the last time we saw him, mentioning something about crawls. No one seems to know what those are, or what form they take. It seems very likely they did something to Cho, but only Dobby knows for certain if that is the case. The only reason he didn't finish telling us is because Cole and Marzia showed up, and he was very afraid of either one or both of them, again for an unknown reason. He ran from them immediately, and no one has seen or heard from him since.

Harry was listening intently the entire time the stone's voice filled his head, and thought it felt a bit weird, hearing his own thoughts played back to him in a different voice. But at the same time, it was helpful. His thoughts were spread out in order, instead of jumbled and mixed with others. The focus crystal had centered only on one subject, and drew out anything in Harry's mind that pertained to it.

Now Mel, on the last night we were with her, seemed fine until our question to her about her knowledge of muggle sports. When we then questioned her about the letters she has been sending, she became further upset, more so than we've ever seen her. Ginny is jealous of her, Ron is suspicious and Hermione isn't quite sure what to make of her, but isn't entirely willing to trust her yet. While she seemed…

"Harry, can you hear me? Please answer!"

…like any other Slytherin…  
"He's not moving!"

"Alrigh' tha's it. I'm takin 'im back up ter the school."

…at first, things changed…when…

Harry's vision was swimming in and out of focus. The crystal's voice was growing fainter. He felt himself being roughly lifted by someone who was trying to be gentle, and felt a twinge of panic when he couldn't seem to make himself move, or reply.

The focus crystal's voice was calling to him, trying to make him listen, but Harry wasn't paying attention. He knew he was being carried, but he couldn't turn his head to see where they were headed. By the voices, he was sure it must be Hagrid holding him, with Ron and Hermione nearby. He tried again to move, to talk, anything at all, but he couldn't so much as clear his throat.

If you will just listen, the crystal's voice came through hazily, we need to…

What's happening? Harry cut it off, abruptly. Why can't I move?

And in that brief second when the crystal was silent Harry felt the invisible hold on him loosen. It tightened immediately, however, as the crystal once again began to speak. Harry's mind was reeling, and he paid no attention to what it was saying, as the realization hit him.

You're doing this? he asked, incredulously, before continuing angrily. Stop! Let me go now!

The crystal didn't stop speaking, but instead persisted in trying to get Harry to listen to what it had to say.

Just be quiet! Harry thought harder. Part of him wanted to hear what the crystal was trying to tell him, but if there was a chance it was only stalling, for whatever reason, Harry just wanted to be free from its hold. He wanted to talk to Cole, to see why this was happening, and to make sure it never happened again.

The crystal's voice was now fading fast, and Harry strained to block out its voice entirely. Seconds passed, fainter still, minutes, it was barely a whisper…and finally…

The hold broke with what felt to Harry like a plastic bag around him popping. He took a deep breath, forcing his eyes to open sluggishly and blinked a few times at the blurry image in front of him, before the underside of Hagrid's worried face came into view. He felt the half-giant's strong arms underneath him, and by the jerky movement they were making, he knew they were moving as fast as the large man could go.

"Hagrid?" he barely managed to whisper, his voice very raspy. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Hagrid…"

Hagrid looked down immediately, and the instant wave of relief that washed over his features was entirely evident.

"'Arry!" he cried. "Yer awake! Don't try an' move, I'm takin yeh straight teh Madam Pomfrey. Yeh gave me quite eh scare back there."

"What happened?" Harry asked, as the feeling began returning to his body. Whatever the crystal had done, it was wearing off quickly. "What about the rest of the class?"

"Class is dismis'd" Hagrid replied hastily, and it was becoming painfully clear to Harry just how tight Hagrid was clinging to him. He tried to shift from the uncomfortable position as Hagrid went on. "I sen' yer friends ahead, they're tellin' Madam Pomfrey what's happen'd."

They were inside the school now and Harry was struggling to move.

"Hagrid I can walk…you don't have to…"

"Yeh aren't fit teh do anything righ' now,' Hagrid replied sternly. "I saw wha' happen'd in class, yeh'll see Madam Pomfrey and she'll tell yeh when yer okay."

"But…Hagrid, really I…" he trailed off as Hagrid flashed him stubborn glance. Resigning to his decision, Harry sighed faintly, and was glad for the fact that classes were still in session, he'd simply die of embarrassment if anyone saw Hagrid carrying him like a baby through the school to the hospital wing.

When they finally reached the double doors, Hagrid kicked them open and brought Harry to the nearest bed, lifting him up and putting him on it as effortlessly as if he were a pillow, instead of a seventeen-year-old student.

"Stay righ' there," Hagrid admonished him, pointing his index finger, and waving it sternly as a mother would to a child who was misbehaving. "I'm off teh tell Professor Dumbledore, and Madam Pomfrey will be 'ere in a moment."

Harry nodded, knowing Hagrid was only acting this way because he was concerned. He waited until the large man was out of sight before pushing himself into a sitting position, just in time to see Madam Pomfrey rushing towards his bed, with Ron and Hermione at her heels.

"Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey began as she stopped beside Harry's bed, his friends just a few feet behind her, looking anxiously at him. "I heard there were some problems during class, care to tell me what happened?" She reached out a hand, feeling Harry's head for a temperature, and promptly pulled it away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm not exactly sure what happened," Harry said, sincerely, eyeing the hazy mist around him suspiciously. "To be honest, I think they could tell you more than I can," he nodded to his friends as he spoke.

Madam Pomfrey looked to Ron and Hermione briefly, before turning back to Harry.

"Wait here, I'll be right back, and when the headmaster arrives hopefully we'll find out more about what happened today." She turned as she finished speaking, walking briskly across the room towards her many cabinets of medicines and potions. Harry watched her for barely a second, before looking quickly to his friends.

"Actually, I'd like to hear about what you both saw…what did happen?" he asked, glancing curiously from Ron to Hermione.

"Well, you didn't say anything for a while there, so I tried to get your attention," Ron began hesitantly. "Your eyes were closed, and we thought you might've fallen asleep or something…but you were sitting up perfectly straight, so it seemed odd. When you didn't answer though, I gave you a shake…and…well…" he trailed off, visibly shuddering.

"What?" Harry asked, anxiously.

"Your eyes opened," Hermione continued for him in a small voice. "And they weren't there anymore."

"What?" Harry exclaimed, loudly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean they were gone," Hermione replied, almost whispering. "It was the most horrible…it…it was…" she trailed off, letting out a soft moan and leaning her head on Ron's shoulder. He quickly reached his arm around her back, pulling her into a comforting embrace, and it was only then that Harry realized how pale and scared they both looked. He sat back against the headboard of the bed, letting out a long breath, having no idea what to make of what he was being told.

"What then?" he asked softly.

"Hagrid was freaked," Ron said gravely. "He tried to wake you up…but you wouldn't move. Everyone in class was scared, and when they started to crowd around you, he screamed at them to go back to the school and straight to their dorms. I've never seen him that way before. Then he told Hermione and me to come here and tell Madam Pomfrey that he'd be bringing you up."

"Are you alright?" Hermione spoke up again, gently, looking uncertainly at Harry.

"I'm…I'm fine," Harry replied slowly. It was the truth too, as he didn't feel the effects of the crystal any longer, though he wanted badly to know what it had tried to do. The unfocused mist hung lazily in the air around him, the crystal having made no sound since he came out of the hold it had him under.

Harry looked at both of his friends, not sure what else to say. He could tell by the looks on their faces that he must've given them a pretty bad scare. Ron was looking back at him, thoughtfully, and opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly the doors to the hospital wing banged open.


	24. Chapter 24

"'Ere 'e is, Professor Dumbledore, sir," Hagrid was saying loudly as he entered the hospital wing with the headmaster. "I brought 'im straight 'ere when it happen'd."

"Thank you Hagrid," Dumbledore nodded as they reached Harry's bedside. Hagrid took a step back, and motioned for Ron and Hermione to do the same, so the headmaster could speak with Harry.

"Well Mr. Potter," Dumbledore began with a wry grin. "You're looking considerably better than I'd expected after my walk down here with Hagrid."

"I feel alright," Harry said quietly. "They told me what happened…only I don't know why it did."

"You have no recollection of anything?" Dumbledore asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Well I do, sort of…" Harry replied quickly. "I was listening to the crystal…that much I know."

"And what was it saying?" A voice from across the room spoke softly. Harry and the others looked up to see Cole and Gazten coming towards them quickly.

"It…it was just saying…" Harry stammered, not really caring to mention Mel in front of Ron and Hermione, "it was talking about things on my mind, really. Sort of laying things out, all the thoughts that were jumbled together…"

"The focus crystal will do that, yes," Cole nodded. "But you must've let it get too far."

"What?" Harry asked. "How? I didn't even know anything was wrong until…until I couldn't move… It's not like I haven't talked with them before."

"You couldn't move, ey?" Cole repeated faintly. "That is bad."

"He didn't have any eyes for a minute their either," Ron spoke quietly, looking somberly at Cole.

Cole nodded casually at Ron's statement, seeming to think nothing of it.

"Yes that makes sense," he said quickly. "He was using the focus crystal, after all."

"That makes sense?" Hermione repeated faintly, her eyes widening in shock.

"Well of course, my dear," Cole answered with a grin. "Each crystal has it's own identity, and a color to symbolize it. The focus crystal has no color, however, to symbolize the clarity with which it will enable to you to pull your thoughts together, and keep your mind on track for what you're concentrating on. When a Psion is drawing on the power of one of his stones, his eyes will take on the same color, or in the focus crystal's case, the lack thereof. Harry's eyes weren't gone, they were merely clear."

Harry saw his friends looked slightly relieved upon hearing this, but still a bit shaken over what they'd seen. He turned his attention back to Cole though, and asked his question again.

"How is it that I let the focus crystal get too far?"

"Remember what happened in your room that day, when all the crystals tried to take you?"

Harry nodded, preferring very much not to think of that day.

"The focus crystal apparently attempted to do it on its own."

"But I thought you said…" Harry began.

"It can't. That's correct," Cole finished for him. "But it's part of your mind, Harry. As such, it holds sway over some of your thoughts, and when you open yourself up to it so freely, as you must've done, it has the capability to take partial control over you. You couldn't move because it wanted you to listen to what it had to say…and I'm sure sooner or later it would have had you back in your dorm, calling on the other crystals, and you would have done it."

"But if it can't take control," Harry said, "then wouldn't I have been able to resist it easier?"

"You let it in willingly and then suddenly tried to push it away. In a sense, you could say the crystal panicked. You were caught in the process of it trying to force you to move ahead, to hear what it wanted you to hear…and most likely more than that. But at the same time you were fighting it, the effect of the struggle being, you couldn't move."

"Oh," Harry murmured, feeling almost dizzy from this new information. "How do I stop it from happening again?" he asked.

"Well," Cole began hesitantly. "Maybe it'd be a good idea to switch crystals now…we can always come back to this one when…"

"Is that really a good idea?" Gazten spoke up suddenly, after having stood by silently for most of the discussion. She was looking questioningly at Cole, but Harry thought there was something else in her eyes, more of a demanding look.

Cole looked pointedly at his niece, his own eyes narrowing slightly.

"I'm not sure I want to chance this happening again…" he began.

"But how else will he learn?" Gazten shot back, her voice sounding strained. It seemed as if she were trying to be insistent, but at the same time not anger her uncle.

Cole glowered at her momentarily, before turning quickly back to Harry, speaking in a serious tone.

"I'd rather not let you keep this stone and let it get this far again, but on the same note, Allison is right. There is little time left for you to learn…and most likely you will not come close to knowing all of it before it is required of you to use it."

"How will I know if it's trying to do it again?" Harry asked cautiously, feeling the tenseness in the air.

"You must judge when to cut the crystal off," Cole explained quickly. "Use your instincts. Listen carefully to the advice it gives, but never let yourself become immersed in what it is telling you. Always make sure you are still aware of your surroundings. Always."

Harry nodded faintly, not sure how to reply. He was glad that he'd only have this crystal another day and a half; surely Cole wouldn't make him keep it past this weekend, not after this. Harry looked around and realized Madam Pomfrey had returned, and was now speaking quietly with Dumbledore, who was nodding slightly as she spoke. When they'd finished their brief discussion, the headmaster turned to Harry once more.

"If you feel you are well enough, you may go back to your tower with your friends. But if you feel you need anything please tell us immediately, I don't want to put off any treatment or care you might need."

"Actually, I really do feel alright. It's as if nothing even happened," Harry replied honestly.

"Very good then," Dumbledore said with a faint grin. Harry moved to the side of the bed he was on, and lowered himself to the floor quickly. He apologized to Hagrid for scaring him, but the larger man smiled widely and told him not to worry about it.

"Jes' glad yer alrigh'" he said, and pulling him into a tight embrace. Harry held his breath until Hagrid released him from the painful hug and smiled reassuringly.

He, Ron and Hermione said good-bye to Dumbledore, Cole and Gazten, before quietly exiting the hospital wing, and heading back towards the tower.

The rest of the day went by quickly enough. Harry, Ron and Hermione explained what happened to Ginny, as by now most of the school knew something was going on, and that it once again concerned Harry. Neville had been made aware of what happened as Cole had spoken to both he and Malfoy, so they didn't need to re-tell it again for him. Sirius stopped by after dinner, having just been told by Dumbledore what had happened. He stayed for well over an hour, wanting to make sure Harry was alright and expressing his dislike for the idea that Harry hold onto that particular crystal any longer.

Soon enough, however, it was the end of the night, and the students slowly drifted off to their beds, all of them glad to have only one day left of classes that week.

The next day moved by quickly enough, and the focus crystal was back to its minor suggestions here and there, with Harry listening to each one cautiously. He did not under any circumstances want a repeat of what happened the day before. He had been upset over finding out the truth from Cole as to what had happened, and even more upset when he realized he'd missed his chance to speak with Mel.

For the first time in Harry's life, the time for potions could not come fast enough. It was the last time he would definitely see Mel before the weekend and he had to speak with her. So when he was at last making his way down to the dungeon area, Ron and Hermione on either side of him, he felt a twinge of excitement and nervousness.

They arrived at the classroom a few minutes before the bell, and Harry was very surprised to see Mel was not there yet. Her common room was much closer to this class than his, and usually she'd make it there well before he ever did. He glanced at the door ever few minutes, hoping that the next person to walk in would be her, but with each passing minute, he began to lose hope. And when the class had finally begun and there was still no sign of Mel, Harry resigned himself to paying attention to the lesson, as the crystal was so adamantly demanding he do.

The class he had so been looking forward to now dragged on for what felt like hours, and Harry felt it couldn't end fast enough. When at last it had ended, he grabbed his books quickly and made a beeline for the door.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Hermione called as she and Ron trotted up behind him.

"Did either of you see Mel today?" Harry asked quickly. They both shook their heads in response and Harry continued. "She wasn't in class. I hope she's alright."

"Strange, don't you think?" Ron spoke up casually. "She's not here the day after your first real problem with your training."

"Ron, she had nothing to do with that…Cole explained what…"

"I'm just saying it's strange," Ron cut him off curtly. "I never said she had anything to do with it."

Harry shook his head, refusing to get into another argument about Mel, and the three of them continued on in silence towards their tower. After dropping off their books and meeting Ginny, they headed back downstairs for dinner, and Harry looked immediately towards the Slytherin table, scanning it carefully.

"She's not here," he said disappointedly as he sat down beside Ginny.

"I know, she wasn't at lunch either," Ginny replied with a shrug.

"She wasn't?" Harry asked, surprised at the news. "I never even looked…"

"Well trust me, I did," Ginny said. "And she wasn't there. I've not seen her all day, actually."

"I hope nothing's happened," Harry said, feeling worried. He had suddenly lost his appetite and couldn't keep from glancing across the room every few seconds, despite the fact he was now positive Mel wasn't coming.

"Oh give it a rest Harry," Ron said at last. "She's not there. Just wait until tomorrow, you'll probably run into her somewhere."

Harry nodded faintly, but couldn't shake the uneasy feeling inside him.

"Maybe she's sick," Hermione suggested lightly. "You could ask Madam Pomfrey if she's been to see her."

"Yeah," Harry said, looking up sharply at Hermione's words. "That's it…she must've been sick…" he stood up immediately and moved away from the table.

"Wha…wait!" Hermione stammered, looking up at him. "You're going now?"

"Well I'm not hungry, so why not?" Harry replied with a shrug, already walking towards the doors. He didn't glance back again and exited the great hall, heading as quickly as he could move towards the hospital wing.

Harry pushed through the all-too-familiar double doors that led into the hospital wing and headed immediately for Madam Pomfrey's office. He glanced at the few occupied beds as he passed, but didn't see Mel in any of them. When he reached the entrance for the office, he found it vacant and turned away quickly, scanning the nearby area.

"Dammit," he muttered to himself, heading glumly back towards the doors. "She could be anywhere." He was almost tempted to check the rest of the hospital wing, but knew that Madam Pomfrey would not be pleased if he were to interrupt something, or go somewhere he shouldn't, so with one last glance towards the office, he pushed the doors open, and walked slowly back out into the halls.

Glancing once in the direction of the corridor that would lead him to the dungeons, Harry shook the idea from his head quickly. He didn't have a password to get into the Slytherin dorms, and even if he did, he doubted the students there would be very hospitable towards him looking around for Mel.

Making his way steadily back towards the great hall, he was debating whether or not he even wanted to go back inside again, when someone he recognized walked out with a few other people.

"Sara!" Harry called out suddenly, as she started up the hall with a group of Ravenclaws. She turned upon hearing her name and smiled warmly at Harry as he came up to meet her.

"Hello Harry," she said pleasantly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Harry replied with a small grin. He glanced towards the other Ravenclaws that were listening to their conversation, before turning back to Sara. "Can I talk with you for a moment?" he asked, hopefully. "I promise it won't take long…"

"Okay," she nodded, an intrigued expression on her face. "I'll catch up with you in a bit," she called to her friends, giving them a small wave and turning back to Harry. He waited until the other students had started on their way and glanced warily at the great hall doors. He didn't want anyone else walking out and interrupting them.

"How about we walk?" he suggested, starting to do so before waiting for her response.

"Alright," she laughed slightly, moving to keep up with him. "Care to tell me what this is about?"

Harry took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a bit apprehensive about talking to Sara about Mel. He knew they were cousins, but he didn't know how close they were, or if Sara would even be willing to tell him anything he wanted to know. Finally, however, he decided there was only one way to find out.

"I was wondering if you might tell me…what's going on with Mel?"

Sara didn't answer right away, but the visible response was immediate. Harry inwardly groaned as he watched her stiffen noticeably, her expression becoming almost grim.

"What do you mean?" she asked politely.

"Look," Harry began hurriedly, "I don't want to sound like I'm trying to pry…I just want to know that she's alright."

"She's fine," Sara replied noncommittally.

"Well…alright…" Harry said slowly, "Do you know then, why she wasn't in any classes today? Was she sick?"

"You only have one class with her on Friday's, right?" Sara asked suddenly.

"Right," Harry nodded.

"Well then how would you know if she had missed all of them? Maybe it was just that one."

"Er…well, I don't know, actually. But since she missed all the meals and wasn't in class…I sort of assumed…"

"Wow," Sara laughed faintly. "Not keeping track of her or anything, are we?" she asked with a wry smile.

"Sort of," Harry shrugged with a small grin, feeling his face turning red and looking away.

"You asked her about the letters, didn't you?" Sara asked, her voice becoming somber.

"Yes," Harry replied quietly. "I didn't realize it would upset her…"

"I know," Sara nodded faintly.

"Can you tell me what's making her so upset?" Harry asked, earnestly, fully meeting Sara's gaze.

"I wish I could," Sara sighed. "But it's not for me to tell…"

"Well…do you know where she is at least?" Harry asked. "Maybe I could…"

"Harry, you can't pressure her right now…not about this." Sara cut him off abruptly.

"I don't want to," Harry replied quickly. "No, not at all…I…I just want to make sure she's okay."

Sara looked into his eyes for a long while, searching with her own. She sighed lightly and dropped her gaze, before speaking again.

"She wasn't sick today, no. If you want to talk to her, you'll find her, not surprisingly, in the owlery."

A large smile spread across Harry's face and he reached out a hand, placing it softly on Sara's arm.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

She nodded in response and Harry let go, moving anxiously in the direction of the owlery.

It barely took him any time to make it up to the owlery, and when at last he stepped through, Harry looked around quickly, scanning the area for Mel. When he didn't see her in the main clearing, he began to walk down towards where he knew her owl, Elliot, was kept. Moving silently, he made sure to glance down each aisle as he passed, not wanting to miss her if she happened to be in one of them.

When at last he reached the end, he turned down the row immediately. At first he thought the aisle was empty and that Sara might have been mistaken, but before he could turn around to retrace his steps, he heard the sound of someone crying softly, coming from the very end of the row.

Taking a deep breath, Harry began moving forward steadily, and sure enough when he'd gotten to the far end, Mel's small form came into view. She was slumped down against one of the large pillars that were spread out along the edges of the owlery, her back leaning against it and her head in her hands. He could see her shoulders shaking ever so slightly, and his heart went out to her.

"Mel?" he whispered gently when he was only a few feet away. She looked up sharply at the sound of his voice and after barely a second's hesitation, ducked her head once more, wiping furiously at her eyes. But in the brief moment she had met his gaze, Harry had seen the tears and the sadness in her own. Moving forward cautiously, not wanting to upset her any further, he knelt down gingerly just in front of her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, wanting to kick himself the moment the words left his mouth. Of course everything wasn't alright, it was more than obvious at this moment. "I'm sorry," he continued quietly, as she didn't give any indication she'd even heard his question. "If you want to be alone I can just…"

"No," Mel spoke softly then, her voice wavering. "You can stay." She looked up at him with an almost desperate expression on her face. "Please stay," she whispered.

"I will," Harry nodded, wanting to reassure her. "I'll stay as long as you want me to." Mel nodded faintly, drawing her legs up against her chest and resting her head against her knees. Harry looked at her for a moment, feeling helpless to do anything for her, wishing she would tell him what was wrong. However, Sara had been right, he couldn't push Mel, something was bothering her very much and if she wanted to tell him, she would.

They sat in silence for a short while and Harry realized after a few moments that Mel looked a bit cold, in fact, she was shivering. Without a second thought, he shifted his position until he was sitting next to her against the pillar, wrapping his arms around her petite frame and pulling her into him in an effort to keep her warm. Mel didn't try to move away or stiffen as he did so; she welcomed his embrace, and laid her head against his chest when he'd settled down. He could feel her crying, as much as she was trying to hide it, but he didn't say anything. If all she needed right now was to be held, than that's what he would do for her.

The minutes ticked on and Harry stayed by Mel's side the entire time. Glancing down at one point, he happened to notice a small slip of parchment clutched in her right hand, barely showing out from underneath her clenched fist. He had to bite his tongue to stop from asking what it was, feeling it would only make her more upset, when suddenly he heard her voice, small and faint, drifting up to him.

"Harry…there's something I want to tell you…"

"Anything," Harry replied gently. "You can tell me anything."

He loosened his hold on her as he felt her try to sit up. She leant her head back against the hard stone of the pillar behind them, before turning and looking deeply into Harry's eyes.

"I…I want to apologize…for the other night…"

"No, Mel…don't. You don't owe me any apology. I shouldn't have…"

"Please let me say what I have to say," Mel interrupted, her voice wavering slightly. Harry closed his mouth, and nodded silently, letting her continue.

"I know you've seen me sending letters this year," Mel began again, "a lot of them. I guess it was silly of me to think you'd never ask about them, but I just wasn't ready to talk about it when you finally did."

She paused for a moment, seeming unsure of herself, of how she was going to tell him whatever it was she wanted to say, but Harry didn't interrupt her thoughts. He knew the feeling she was going through very well, and didn't want to make it any harder for her.

"I have a brother," she spoke up at last, saying it quickly. "His name is Jack…and…he's sick…" she trailed off, her voice catching in her throat. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes, streaming freely down her face and Harry once again pulled her close to him as she lowered her head.

"It's alright," he cooed. "Everything's alright…"

"No," she sobbed, pressing her face into his shirt. "It's not…he's not just sick…he's dying…" she trailed off once again, sobbing hard against his chest, her hands clinging tightly to his shirt.

"Mel, I'm so sorry," Harry said softly. His head was filling with questions rapidly, but he didn't voice a single one. He would let her explain on her own. When she seemed to calm down once more, she sat up slowly, meeting his gaze again.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, wiping at the dampness on his clothes weakly.

"Don't worry about it," he grinned faintly, trying to sound reassuring. "We all need to do that sometimes."

She gave him the smallest of grins, before looking down at her hands. Taking a deep breath, she started talking again, her voice straining to remain steady.

"Jack is seven years older than me…and he's a squib. My parents love him very much, but his relationship with them is not the same as the one they have with me. We were raised in the same house, and grew up entirely different lives. But even with that being the case…we're still so close…you know? We share everything, tell each other our secrets…I've never had a better friend than my brother."

She paused for a moment, fighting off another wave of grief, before continuing, an almost nostalgic look in her eyes.

"Jack's the one that showed me all about muggle sports, and took me with him over the summers to all the competitions he loved to enter. He thought…" she trailed off with a small laugh, "he thought it was just a tragedy for anyone to have to grow up without all the wonderful things he was experiencing, just because the wizarding world didn't recognize them as any more than muggle recreational activities. Oh he showed me everything Harry…everything."

"He sounds like a really nice guy," Harry said gently, smiling softly at her.

"He is," Mel said sadly, her voice breaking as she spoke. She forced herself to calm down quickly this time, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffing loudly. "You and he would get along really well, I think," she said with a smile, looking back up to Harry. "You really have a lot in common."

"I bet we'd get along just fine," Harry nodded with a smirk.

"You would…you really would," Mel spoke softly. She stopped speaking then, a far off look in her eyes, and Harry watched her silently, waiting patiently.

"A few years ago…Jack was diagnosed with Leukemia," Mel spoke up, the quiver back in her voice once more. "At first, he responded incredibly well to the treatments…the doctors seemed very optimistic…" she trailed off, unable to hold back the tears any longer. Harry was right there by her side, holding her, comforting her…it broke his heart to see her like this.

When Mel managed to calm herself down again, she held up her right hand and opened it, showing the crumpled piece of paper that lay in her palm. Raising her left hand, she plucked up the paper and spread it open slowly.

"This came in the mail today," Mel whispered. Harry looked at her carefully for a moment, before shifting his gaze to the hastily written letter. He looked to the bottom corner first, noticing it was from Mel's father, before quickly scanning the rest of the letter. When he finished, he turned back to Mel, feeling his heart breaking for her.

"I'm so sorry," he said sincerely.

Mel nodded faintly, barely acknowledging his words, her lower lip trembling slightly.

"Jack's stopped responding to the treatments…" Mel said shakily. Harry looked at her sadly, not sure what to say, when her expression suddenly became dark. "He's just being so stubborn!" she cried abruptly, almost angrily. "The muggle doctors can't help him anymore…and he knows any of the doctors in the wizarding world could do what they can't easily, but he refuses to let it happen…and now he'll be…he'll be…dead" she managed to choke out, "by the end of summer, if that…" Mel was sobbing hard as she finished, and Harry took her in his arms once more.

"Mel," he spoke softly after a few minutes had passed. "I can see how much Jack means to you, and how close you are to each other. I'm so sorry this is happening, because you don't deserve it…not at all. You're one of the most outgoing, friendly…most wonderful people I know. If there's anything I can do for you, please…please, don't hesitate to ask me."

"There's nothing anybody can do," Mel said weakly. "He doesn't want our help…"

"Has he…?" Harry began, stopping himself quickly.

"Has he what?" Mel looked up inquisitively.

"I…well…" Harry began, not sure how to explain himself. He didn't want to upset her with his questions, but now she was waiting for him to ask. "Has Jack said why he doesn't want any help from…well…from our kind?"

"He said he must've been born into a wizard family without the use of magic for a reason," Mel explained flatly, "and he's lived his whole life without it, so he's not going to turn to it now for help."

Harry didn't have a response for this, so he simply nodded, not wanting to interfere in what wasn't really his business.

"You'll be able to spend the summer with him at least, right?" Harry asked, trying to sound optimistic.

"Yeah," Mel sighed, sadly. "One more summer…"

"Mel…" Harry began cautiously. "Your brother isn't dead yet…"

"But he's going to be," Mel said, bitterly, not looking up as she spoke.

"Well…maybe…" he stammered, slightly, trying to find the words. "Maybe you shouldn't grieve for him yet…not while he's still alive."

"I know," Mel whispered. "If he'd just stop being so stubborn…maybe this wouldn't upset me so much…"

"I think it would upset you either way," Harry said softly, before taking a deep breath and continuing evenly. "I don't have any brothers or sisters…but I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. There are no words to describe the pain you feel when it happens, and no matter what anyone says or does, nothing makes that pain go away…but it will fade, eventually. The only thing I can say, is just spend the time you have left together in the best way you can…make the most of it."

Mel made no reply, and Harry once again leant his head against the pillar behind him, while Mel rested on his chest. They sat together in silence for what felt like just a few minutes, but when Harry finally glanced down to check his watch; he saw it was indeed, quite late. They barely had any time left before curfew.

"We should get going," he whispered, stirring Mel, who had fallen soundlessly asleep while laying on him. She looked up groggily, her eyes still puffy and red, before nodding sleepily. Harry helped her to her feet and they began walking back towards the exit.

"I'm sorry," Mel, said thickly, her eyelids drooping as they finally left the owlery and entered the hallway beyond. "You have so many problems as it is…I'm sure you didn't want to hear mine…"

"Don't ever think that," Harry said earnestly. "You can tell me anything you need to…anything you want to…and I'll never consider it a burden to have to listen. I want to listen to you, Mel."

She grinned up at him faintly, before bringing up her left hand to cover a very large yawn.

"Tired…" she murmured, sleepily, her feet shuffling as they moved.

Harry smiled down at Mel, and was once again filled with the realization of just how much he enjoyed her company. He truly hated to see her as upset as she'd been for most of the evening, and wished desperately that there was something he could do for her, but it was out of his hands.

When they came to the hall where Harry would need to turn in order to reach the Gryffindor tower, he gave it a brief glance, and kept going. Mel was falling asleep as she walked and Harry was more responsible for keeping her upright than her legs were at this point. He couldn't just leave her to walk into a wall or some other possible mishap. So they continued on, down to the dungeon area, and Harry walked alongside her, one arm around her back, until they'd reached the portrait for the Slytherin dorm entrance.

"Can you make it inside okay?" he asked gently, watching her eyes focus slowly on his own. He would prefer not to walk into the Slytherin common room, but was willing to do so if she needed him to.

"I'll be fine," she said with a nod. "Thank you again Harry…you didn't have to…

"I wanted to," Harry cut her off, placing one finger over her lips to silence her. Her skin was so soft underneath his own, and he began to lean forward slowly, but shook the thought from his head almost immediately, and kissed her, swiftly, on her forehead.

"Good night Mel," he said firmly, smiling at her once more.

"S-sleep well, Harry," she replied, stifling another yawn and giving him a small hug, before turning towards the portrait for the Slytherin dorms. He waited until she was safely inside, before turning and quickly starting back towards his own tower.

Glancing at his watch, Harry now saw it was just past curfew. Looking around cautiously, he quickened his pace, hoping fervently he didn't run into anyone on the way. However, no sooner had the thought crossed his mind, then he turned the first corner, nearly running straight into someone.

"Late night, Mr. Potter?" the familiar voice asked in a wry tone.

"Yes, sorry Allison…Professor Gazten," Harry said quietly, not sure how to address her in this situation.

"It's Allison," she laughed, casually. "And why in Merlin's name are you all the way down here after curfew?"

"I was with Mel," Harry explained quickly. "And we lost track of the time. When I noticed how late it was, we started back, but she was too tired to make it on her own, so I walked her down here to make sure…" he trailed off, waiting for the inevitable point deduction, and probable detention that would surely be coming.

Allison sighed lightly and crossed her arms over her chest, fixing Harry with a stern look.

"Come on then, Mr. Potter," she said at last, a small grin touching her lips. "I'll take you back to your tower."

Harry nodded slowly, before the realization of what she'd just said sunk in and he looked up at her sharply.

"Really?" he asked, a small twinge of hope creeping up inside him.

"Well I believe your reason for being down here," she explained as they began walking side by side, "and if you hadn't been so nice as to escort Mel back to her dorm you probably would have made it back to your own on time, so I'm not going to hold it against you. Just please make sure to keep a closer watch on the time from now on. The curfew is in place for your protection."

"I know, and I promise I will," Harry said with a wide smile, very glad he'd run into Gazten rather than Filch.

"Good," Allison said with a nod, before continuing in a mischievous tone. "So…what were you two doing that caused you to lose track of time until such a late hour?"

"Nothing as fun as your tone suggests you think it was," Harry snickered.

"I don't think I have any idea what you just said," Allison said in a confused tone, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, well, join the club," Harry shrugged with a lopsided grin, before becoming serious. "So why were you out so late?"

"I was actually on my way back to my office when I ran into you," Allison replied. "I was speaking with Cole, earlier. He'd asked me to come talk with you about tomorrow, so it's good that I ran into you anyway."

"About the crystals?" Harry asked, anxiously. The focus crystal had been silent throughout the entire time he'd spent with Mel, but he could still see the vague haze surrounding him, constantly hovering…and listening.

"Yes," Allison nodded. "He wants you to move on to a new one tomorrow, but this time he wants you to find it on your own. The psychological crystal."

"Okay," Harry replied, curtly. "I remember that one."

"Good, then you should have no trouble. And if you do, make sure to come…"

"Yes I know," Harry interrupted with a laugh. "Believe me, I know. Any problems, straight to you or Cole…whoever I find first."

Allison shook her head and chuckled silently, but didn't make any reply. They reached the portrait of the fat lady soon enough, and said goodnight to one another, before Harry gave the password, and stepped through into the Gryffindor common room.

"What took you so long?" Hermione exclaimed as soon as the portrait hole shut behind Harry and he began to cross the room. "You've been gone for hours!"

"I know," Harry said quietly, reaching the circle of chairs and lowering himself into one of them. He looked at each of his friends in turn, before beginning to speak in a hushed tone.

"Mel wasn't sick today, she wasn't in any of her classes because of a letter she received this morning…"

"Who was it from? The person she's been writing to all this time?" Ron interrupted, anxiously.

"This one was from her father," Harry said when Ron had finished. He paused for a moment; not sure how much he wanted to tell them about what Mel had just shared with him, before shaking his head and continuing softly.

"Mel has a brother, named Jack. She's been writing to him and her parents all year…"

"Right, all this sneaking around just to talk to her family…sure," Ron cut in again, rolling his eyes.

"Ron, she has not been sneaking around," Harry spoke evenly. "You only think of it that way because you suspect she has some horrible ulterior motive or something…well she hasn't got one. She and Jack are very close, he's been sick for a long time and now she's just found out he's only got a few months to live…most likely not more than six."

For a moment, there was only silence in their corner of the common room. Ron, Hermione and Ginny all stared at Harry, a mixture of shock and sadness in their expressions, until Hermione finally cleared her throat gently.

"But…what is he sick from?" she asked softly. "I'm sure there must be something…some cure…or treatment…" she trailed off as Harry shook his head slowly.

"He's a squib, Hermione," he said quietly. "He can't use any magic, and according to Mel, because of this, he also won't accept any help from the wizarding world. He says that he grew up without it, and therefore won't turn to it for help now."

"That's so horrible," Ginny whispered sadly.

"What is it he has, exactly?" Ron asked, the sardonic tone completely gone.

"Leukemia," Harry said, sitting back in his chair.

"Oh no," Hermione said, her shoulders drooping. "Then that's it…the muggles won't be able to help him…"

"Not anymore, no," Harry shook his head. "I just…I just wanted you to know. This is what Mel's been doing all this time. Nothing vindictive, nothing undermining, nothing that warrants any suspicion whatsoever. So please, please don't fight with me about her anymore…"

"We won't," Hermione replied quickly.

"Promise," Ginny added with a faint grin.

Harry nodded at them, before slowly turning to look at Ron and the two met each other's gaze for a long moment.

"Alright," Ron spoke up finally. "I won't fight you on this anymore."

"Thank you," Harry said, sincerely. He stood up then, giving a small stretch and looking towards the door that led to the dorms. "I'm going to bed, sorry but I'm too tired to stay up right now and…"

"Don't worry about it," Hermione cut him off with a smirk. "You look like you need it. Sleep well Harry."

"Good night," Ginny and Ron said in unison.

"See you in the morning, guys," Harry nodded sleepily, then turned and headed for the door. Once upstairs and changed, he slipped quickly between the sheets of his four-poster, and drifted instantly off to sleep.

When Harry woke the next morning, he pulled back the curtains around his bed and reached for his glasses. Checking his watch, he saw there was an hour to go before quidditch practice. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, heading for his closet. When he'd finished changing, he went to the trunk that contained the crystals and knelt beside it. After it was unlocked and opened, Harry put his hand over the courage crystal as he did every morning, looking, this time looking for the psychological crystal.

The very first stone he moved his hand to lit up a pale shade of green and Harry recognized it as the one he was looking for. Calling on the psychological crystal, he watched for a moment as it shattered in front of him, before a soft green haze immediately filled the air.

Closing the trunk quickly, Harry started downstairs. The common room was mostly empty, so he continued on out through the portrait whole, making his way towards the great hall.

When he stepped through the double doors, he spotted Ron and Hermione sitting midway down the Gryffindor table, near a few of the other quidditch players, and quickly walked over to join them.

"Good morning," Hermione said pleasantly, smiling as Harry sat down beside her.

"Morning," Harry replied with a grin, before turning to Ron. "Where's Ginny? She knows we have practice today, right?"

"Yeah, she knows," Ron nodded, lowering his voice before continuing. "She's probably talking to mum again about a new broom…you know how horrible hers is…"

"Oh," Harry replied, looking away. He still felt very badly for what had happened to Ginny when he'd lent her his Firebolt. "Will she be getting a new one?" he asked quickly.

Ron shook his head slowly.

"No…ever since my dad's been out of work…" he trailed off, clearing his throat awkwardly, his ears slowly turning a shade to match his hair. Ron had always hated talking about anything having to do with how much money his family possessed. "Well they just can't get her one right now," he finished quietly, trying to shrug it off.

Harry and Hermione exchanged uncomfortable glances, neither one sure what to say, when they heard someone nearby and looked up to see Ginny a few feet away.

"Hello," she said with a glum sigh as she took the seat beside her older brother.

"Good morning Ginny," Harry said, trying to sound cheerful. She glanced up and gave a small half smile before setting her elbows down on the table and resting her head in her hands.

"C'mon Gin," Ron said looking intently at her. "You're a great chaser, you'll do fine no matter what broom you have!"

"But I can't get any height with mine!" Ginny shot back, throwing her hands up in the air. "Which I'm sure you know…as it used to be yours," she said, sounding suddenly bitter.

"Ginny…don't do this…" Ron began quietly, looking slightly embarrassed as the other members of the team glanced in their direction. "Mum and dad can't just…"

"They got you a new one, right?" Ginny interrupted. "As soon as you became keeper they got you a new one. This is my second year on the team…"

"But last year the season was cancelled…" Ron spoke in a hushed tone, "so they didn't get you one because of that."

"It's still not fair," Ginny muttered, shaking her head.

"What's not fair?"

The four friends glanced up to see Mel standing just beside Harry, and looking curiously over at Ginny, waiting.

"Nothing," Ron answered for his sister quickly, earning him a small glare from Ginny.

"Nothing?" Mel repeated, skeptically. She held Ron's gaze a few seconds more, before shrugging casually. "Alright then." Turning away from the Weasleys, she shifted her gaze to meet with Harry's who stood up slowly.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly. She nodded once, a small grin touching her lips.

"Yes, thank you. I'll be fine…"

"You're sure?" he persisted, gently.

"Not much of a choice really, right?" Mel replied with a soft shrug. He could see she was still upset, but she wasn't going to let anyone else see it.

"Here," he said quietly, taking her by the arm. "Here sit down with us."

"I…I don't want…" Mel stammered, seeing the rest of the Gryffindor team giving her suspicious glances. "I don't want to cause any trouble," she whispered so only Harry could hear her.

"You won't, don't worry so much," Harry whispered back, smiling. Mel gave one more wary look up the table, before nodding and lowering herself down beside Harry.

They ate breakfast together, Hermione doing her best to include Mel on any conversation they were having, staying away from any depressing topics, while Ron kept trying to get Ginny to cheer up. Harry wished there were something he could do for her, but he didn't have another broom to let her borrow, nor did he think any student would be allowed out of the school to purchase one. He would gladly have done this for Ginny, in a heartbeat. This was the last year he'd have to pay for school supplies, and he still had plenty of money left in his vault at Gringott's, but even if Ginny would accept his gift, Harry knew Ron would consider it an insult, He'd never say it aloud, but Harry knew it was the truth.

"We have to get going soon," Ron said at last. "What with the limited time we have for quidditch practice as it is, it's probably not a good idea to be late."

"Yeah," Ginny said in a bored tone.

"Oh stop it already," Ron said, lowering his voice and sounding irritated for the first time during the conversation with his sister. "You've played on the Cleansweep before, you can do it again."

"If you love it so much why don't you use it?" Ginny whispered back fiercely. "You don't need a Nimbus 2000 just to sit in front of the goal!"

"You don't have any idea what you'd need to be a keeper," Ron said evenly.

"The same could be said for you when it comes to being a chaser," Ginny shot back.

Ron opened his mouth to make another reply, but Mel's voice cut in first.

"Is something wrong with your broom?" she asked Ginny, curiously.

"No," Ron spoke up quickly. "Her broom is fine."

Ginny shot him another indignant glance, but nodded slowly.

"Yeah, it's fine," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh," Mel replied, not sure what else to say. She looked questioningly to Harry who just shook his head and mouthed the words 'don't ask.'

"So," Mel began again as everyone started to get up, ready to head out to the pitch. "It's a pretty nice day out…do you think maybe…I mean…could I possibly…watch you practice?" she finally managed to ask.

Harry smiled widely at her and opened his mouth to reply, when he heard his name from just behind him and turned to see Dean Thomas standing there.

"Could I talk to you for just a moment?" he asked Harry pleasantly.

"Er…sure," Harry replied. He motioned for Mel to wait just a moment, before stepping a few feet away with Dean, to where a few members of the team were huddled.

"What's up guys?" Harry asked, slowly as he saw the stony faces his teammates were giving him.

They don't trust her.

"You're not letting that girl spy on our practice, right?" Ray asked snidely.

"That girl?" Harry repeated, insulted. "Her name is Mel and she's a friend of mine."

"But she could tell the Slytherin team about our moves!" Dean said in a fierce whisper, glancing over Harry's shoulder to where Mel stood waiting, and looking at the group curiously.

"She wouldn't do that," Harry replied sharply. "You've all had friends watch our practices in the past…"

"From our own house," Ray spoke up again. "And even if another house did see us, it wasn't Slytherin."

Harry shook his head, feeling a twinge of anger begin to flare up inside of him. He had no way to convince them Mel wasn't trying to spy for her house in the two minutes they had left before practice, but he just couldn't turn around and tell her the reason the others didn't want her there.

"Just tell her we don't want anyone watching our practices," Natalie said curtly.

Don't argue…not now.

Harry nodded grudgingly, feeling sick as he turned back to face Mel. The look on her face told him she already knew what was coming.

"Look, don't worry about it," she said quietly as he walked back to where she was waiting. "I shouldn't have asked you in the first place."

"No, it's not your fault at all," Harry said quickly. "They're just…well…"

"My team doesn't always play fair, I know," Mel said with a wry grin. "Just go," she continued with a casual wave of her hand. "I'll see you later."

"I'm really sorry," Harry said quietly.

"Will you get going already?" Mel laughed. "You'll never beat my cousin if you're not gonna practice."

Harry smiled warmly at Mel, who waved her hand again, motioning for him to follow the rest of his team who were already at the door. He said good-bye quickly, before turning and starting towards the exit, joining the rest of his team for the walk down to the pitch.

After several hours of intense practice, Madam Hooch called the Gryffindor team back down to the pitch. Harry sighed inaudibly as he landed, feeling that this was barely enough time for them to practice, but he didn't complain. He was glad there was still a quidditch season at all.

Ginny was still looking upset about her broom, but she was no longer voicing her feelings for all to hear. She went to the lockers, changed with the others and the seven of them started back for the school.

"You know," Harry commented to Ron in a hushed tone as they walked. "I do see Ginny's point…I think I'd gotten quite used to her performance on the Firebolt. The Cleansweep isn't allowing her to do half the maneuvers she was managing before."

"I know," Ron replied quietly. "But there's nothing we can do about it. My mum and dad can't…"

"No, no, no," Harry interrupted quickly. "I didn't mean for it to sound like I wanted you to do something…I was just saying I can see her point."

Ron simply nodded, agreeing. The group of students reached the steps after a few moments, and they filed in, quietly chatting amongst each other.

The rest of the day moved by quickly, and when dinner was over, Harry stood up and headed towards Mel, hoping to speak to her about what had happened earlier. He still felt terrible for how his friends had treated her, and wanted to make sure she knew that.

Mel was closer to the door than Harry, however, and she exited the great hall before he could get to her. When he finally stepped out into the corridor, he turned towards the hallway that led to the dungeon area, hoping to spot her, when he heard his name.

Spinning around, he saw Cole walking towards him.

"In a hurry?" Cole asked with a smirk.

"Well…I was hoping to talk with a friend of mine," Harry said, glancing over his shoulder at the throng of students still filling the hall. Mel was nowhere in sight. "But I guess I missed her," he said with a small shrug, turning to face Cole once more.

"I'm sure you'll have another chance," Cole said with a grin. "But I do want to ask you how it's going with the crystal. Any problems with this one?"

"None at all," Harry replied, shaking his head briefly. "It only spoke twice, just after breakfast, and it's been quiet since then."

"Good to hear," Cole nodded, smiling. "That's all I needed to know, you know where to find me if you need me." He lifted his hand, giving Harry a slight wave, before turning and starting down the corridor for the dungeons. Harry waved after him, his gaze lingering on the hallway on the slim chance Mel might still be nearby, but he couldn't find her anywhere.

After a few moments had passed, Harry finally turned away from the corridor and started quickly towards his tower.

The next morning, a short while after breakfast, Harry and his friends made their way up to the headmaster's office. They wanted to see if there was any word on Dobby, as no one could say they'd seen him in quite some time, and Harry still couldn't find him on the Marauder's Map no matter what time of the day or night he looked.

But once again, Dumbledore informed them he too had not seen nor heard from Dobby. He too was very worried for the scared house-elf, and believed it more than likely he'd left Hogwart's indefinitely.

"I just wish we'd gotten him to tell us what crawls were," Harry said in a frustrated tone as the four friends left the headmaster's office. "And what they have to do with Cho…"

"He'll be back Harry," Hermione said, trying to sound reassuring. "You know he'll show up again sooner or later. Even if it's just to make sure you're alright he'll do it…"

"It's just that he's been gone so long now," Harry spoke quietly, sincerely worried for the small house-elf.

"Well we know something scared him," Ginny said softly.

"But we just didn't know it was this bad," Ron added, shaking his head slowly. "I mean…for Dobby to run away…" he paused, looking deep in thought for a brief moment. "He'd never run away, not when you're involved at least," he continued evenly, looking straight at Harry.

"Well he did," Harry replied quietly. "At least…I truly hope that's why he isn't here."

"No, he's fine," Hermione said sharply, but sounding uncertain. "He's fine, he has to be. House-elves have very unique powers, it'd be almost impossible to…"

"The creatures of Faerun seem to have very unique powers too," Harry interrupted pointedly. "There's no way of knowing if Dobby would be able to defend himself against one of them…or more."

Hermione stared back at Harry, meeting his gaze for a long moment before speaking again.

"Well we have to believe he's alright…until we know otherwise."

Harry nodded, wanting badly to really believe his friend was indeed fine, but having an increasingly hard time doing so. Too much time was passing with no word, and no explanation.

"Let's go see Remus," Ron spoke up suddenly, startling Harry from his thoughts. "Maybe he found something since last week…when you told him about the Inquisitors."

"Yes, lets," Ginny said, somewhat excitedly, looking eagerly to Harry.

"Alright, I think he's in his office," Harry said with a small nod.

The four friends stopped midway down the hall they were in, turning around and retracing their steps, heading for Professor Lupin's office. Harry hoped that he'd found something…anything…and that it would be of some use to them.

When they finally made it back past the headmaster's office and were standing in front of the door to Professor Lupin's, Harry raised his hand and knocked hard against the thick wood.

A moment later, the door swung open and Remus stood there, looking inquisitively out into the hall at the four students. A wide smile spread across his face when he saw who it was, however, and he immediately invited them in.

"Sorry to disturb you," Harry said as the door was shut gently behind them.

"Believe me I don't mind the interruption," Remus grinned, nodding towards the stack of papers on his desk. "I've been working on grading those for hours now." He paused for a moment before beginning to cross the room back towards his desk. "Here, all of you, have a seat. Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Actually, we were wondering if you'd spoken to Professor Dumbledore about the Inquisitors yet," Ginny replied quickly.

Remus nodded softly as he took his seat on the opposite side of the desk.

"I did, yes," he began quietly. "Dumbledore is just as wary of the Inquisitors as the rest of us, and from what he told me during our discussion, if the situation wasn't as serious as it has become, he'd never have allowed them into the school. He trusts Cole, but he'd rather not have the Inquisitors here."

"Well then why doesn't he just ask Cole to make them leave?" Ron asked suddenly, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Like I said," Remus began, "if the situation weren't so serious, he'd do just that. But the truth of the matter is…there have been a great number of attempts by several death eaters to try and enter the school. The Inquisitors have notified us on each occasion, and we were able to handle the situation."

"Except for Lucius," Harry said quietly. "No one knew he was here until Draco and I brought him up to Dumbledore's office."

"I know," Remus nodded. "Which is one of the points I'd made to Albus during our talk…but he won't have them leave because of that one instance. They've not missed anyone since then, and it was only when they'd first arrived, so he's not too concerned about that one time, just very relieved it didn't become a more serious situation, and that you and Draco were able to escape."

"Does he have any idea how Cole was able to persuade the Inquisitors to come?" Hermione asked. "Because from what that small excerpt on them said, I was under the impression they would only stand guard for a domain under the control of Lendare…their deity. But Hogwart's isn't part of that, right?"

"Right," Remus said quickly. "Lendare is not anyone that we've ever known or dealt with…if he does, in fact, exist at all. We don't know much about their culture or ways. Lendare could be a made-up name…or maybe he died long ago…or who knows what else. There are so many possibilities, and no one with clear answers."

"But Dumbledore…he trusts the Inquisitors, right?" Harry asked persistently.

"He trusts the fact that Cole can control them," Remus replied, "and that they will obey him while in the school at least."

"Can we ask Cole about Lendare then?" Hermione asked eagerly. "He must know if…"

"I mentioned that," Remus interrupted gently. "Dumbledore said he'd spoken with Cole on the matter, and that the Inquisitors do not wish for any information on themselves to be given to anyone here, for any reason. It is the only condition for them to help us."

"But Cole does know then, right? He knows the real story behind them, and Lendare?" Hermione persisted.

"I believe so, yes," Remus nodded once.

"I can't believe Dumbledore would allow them here without knowing everything first!" Ron spoke in a shocked tone, shaking his head slowly.

"We don't have any other choice," Harry spoke up suddenly. "The ministry is gone, and if they were still able to be contacted I have my doubts they'd be willing to help us anyway. We have to take whatever help we can get, and hope that's what they're really here for…" He looked up briefly, meeting Remus' gaze, before standing. "Thank you for asking Dumbledore about all of this Remus. We really appreciate it."

"I didn't do it just for you," Remus winked, standing as well. "I want to know as much about our guests as possible."

"We should let you get back to your work," Hermione said, coming up beside Harry.

"Like I said, I needed the break," Remus grinned. "You all take care now."

"We will," Harry replied with a nod.

"Thank you Remus," Ginny added.

"See you kids later," he replied as they went towards the door. They each said good-bye quickly, before stepping back out into the hallway, and heading towards their tower.

The days passed, turning into weeks, and everything truly seemed to be returning to a normal state. Harry went through the crystals one week at a time, and in the month that passed, he'd used the observant, anger, sneak and confidence crystals. Cole and Gazten would check in with him regularly, wanting to make entirely sure that there would be no repeats of the incident involving the focus crystal. They didn't need to worry much, however, as Harry had no problems. The crystals spoke to him when they had something to say, but never more than that.

Much to Harry's dismay, however, Dobby had still not shown himself to anyone. He didn't know where the small house-elf could be hiding, as he never showed on the Marauder's Map, and hoped fervently that no harm had come to him. Whatever these crawls Dobby had mentioned actually were, they didn't seem to be posing much of a threat, as no one could place what they really were, or what they could do.

Harry started spending more and more time with Mel. They would do homework together, or have dinner in some unused classroom. He would tell her things about his past, and she would share stories of her and Jack, and the things he had shown her. He was relieved to see her able to talk about her brother without getting too upset, but felt he'd always be there for her if she needed him…for anything.

No more information was found on the Inquisitors, though after their talk with Remus, Harry and his friends had pretty much given up on looking. If it really was a last resort, and Dumbledore was aware of and shared their concerns and doubts, there was nothing else that could be done for the time being. The Inquisitors did seem to be doing their job quite well, as no intruders were getting in any longer, and they never bothered any of the students. All in all things seemed to be going smoothly.

On the Friday before the quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, Madam Hooch had allowed for an early evening practice session for both teams. Ravenclaw took their turn first, and when they'd finished were sent inside to let Harry and the others know they could head out.

"Well at least they're giving us one more before the game, I really thought last week's session was gonna be it," Ron commented as the seven teammates made their way down to the pitch.

"So did I," Harry nodded with a grin. "One more practice can never hurt, though. Especially seeing how few of them we've had."

They filed into the locker rooms, and Harry went through the maneuvers they'd be going over that night, before they headed out to the pitch, and immediately began the practice.

Harry watched as the chasers worked for a short while on the new techniques he hoped they'd be able to use the next day, but Ginny was still struggling with her broom. The heights that she needed to attain were very much out of her reach on the Cleansweep, which meant she'd be excluded from half the maneuvers they'd been learning. It had been this way ever since they began practicing again, but now that it was the night before the match, the problem was suddenly much bigger.

Harry sighed as he watched Ginny trying to force the broom higher to no avail, shaking his head and hoping it wouldn't cause too many problems the next day, when suddenly he heard his name. Looking around, he spotted Dean looking straight at him, and pointing towards the ground.

"What is she doing here?" he called angrily. Confused, Harry shifted his gaze down to see Mel walking towards the pitch quickly, carrying a broom with her. Glancing around and that everyone had come to a complete halt, Harry quickly directed his broom down, heading towards the edge of the pitch. He landed quickly and walked the few feet to where Mel stood, waiting for him.

"Hey," he said quietly, hearing his teammates landing behind him. "What are you doing here?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound rude. If it were up to him he wouldn't mind her staying at all, but his vote seemed to be outnumbered.

"I know they don't want me here," Mel whispered black, glancing past him to where the others stood, watching. "I don't want to cause any trouble…but…can I talk with Ginny…it'll just take a second, I promise."

"Ginny?" Harry repeated. "Sure…sure I don't mind." He turned around and met Ginny's gaze, motioning for her to come over to him.

"What's this all about?" Ron asked, suddenly. He didn't sound angry, just curious.

"Yeah what does she want?" Ray spoke up, sounding quite suspicious.

"Look this will only take a second," Harry said, trying to sound stern.

"Well we don't have much time," Su spoke up. There was no anger in her tone, but she did sound anxious to continue. Harry knew she was right too, they didn't have much time left and Madam Hooch was standing nearby, looking quite impatient.

Ginny and Mel were speaking quietly for no more than a moment, when Ginny turned away abruptly. For a moment Harry thought she was angry by the suddenness of her movement, but he quickly saw the wide grin on her face as she walked up to him.

"She's letting me use her broom," Ginny grinned widely. "It's a Tinderblast, Harry! They're almost as good as the Nimbus'!"

"That's great!" Harry exclaimed, feeling just as excited as Ginny looked. He felt his apprehension about the match begin to melt away and smiled warmly up at Mel. She nodded once, already starting back towards the school so as not to hold them up any longer, and Harry turned back to his teammates.

He noticed them eyeing the broom in Ginny's hand warily, and he cleared his throat immediately and spoke.

"Alright guys, back to practice!"

No one argued, but Harry could see the apprehension in their eyes. He wasn't going to say anything, however. Ginny seemed to be fine with the idea of using Mel's broom, and that was all that mattered to him. Ron didn't seem all too upset either. The seven brooms lifted into the air quickly, and practice once again resumed.

"We're gonna win tomorrow, I just know it!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly as she was walking back to the common room with Harry and Ron. The rest of practice had gone considerably better than any they'd had so far, and the members of the team didn't fail to notice that it was mostly due to Mel allowing Ginny to use her broom.

A few people had made suspicious comments, thinking there must be a reason behind Mel's actions. She was, after all, a Slytherin, and they would do anything to ensure Gryffindor lost. Harry tried not to pay any attention to the comments, as he didn't feel like getting into an argument the night before their first match, so he remained silent. When it had been time to walk back up to the school, he'd made sure to lag behind slightly, trying to avoid hearing any more of their remarks, and Ron and Ginny had waited for him. Now the three of them were slowly making their way back towards their tower, and Ginny was positively beaming.

"Why do you think Mel lent Ginny the broom though?" Ron asked quietly, looking seriously at Harry.

"Maybe because she realized there were problems with Ginny's own broom when she'd heard you both arguing about it…" Harry shrugged.

"So then she just decided to help us out of the goodness of her heart? What about all the fuss she makes over house points? What will her own housemates say when they find out? I'm sure they'll be none too pleased…"

"I agree," Harry nodded with a smirk. "They won't be pleased at all. And maybe Mel just wanted the match to be fair."

"Right," Ron snorted. "A Slytherin wanting to play fair."

"Maybe she feels bad about getting me in trouble," Ginny spoke up then, looking defiantly at her brother and holding tightly to the borrowed broom, as if afraid he were going to try and make her give it back.

"Well I'm just saying it doesn't seem to make sense," Ron sighed, shaking his head. He reached out, grabbing Harry's arm and slowing their progress so they were a few steps behind Ginny, before continuing in a hushed tone. "I know you and Mel have gotten much closer and I really hope you're right about her Harry, because if something happens while Ginny's on her broom…" he trailed off, coming to a complete halt, his eyes flashing.

"Nothing's going to happen," Harry stated firmly, meeting Ron's gaze evenly. "Mel isn't trying to hurt anyone."

Ron dropped his arm, and the two stared at each other for a brief moment, before he nodded faintly, and they once again started walking. Ginny had stopped a few paces up the hall and was looking inquisitively at the two of them, but when neither offered an explanation, she simply shrugged and began walking with them again.

Back in the common room, they'd told Hermione of what had happened during their practice, and while she was happy for Ginny, she too was slightly concerned.

"As long as you're sure, Harry," Hermione said softly while Ginny was talking animatedly to her brother about how well the broom handled. "Please don't say you think everything's fine out of stubbornness over your feelings for Mel…"

"I don't think everything's fine," Harry replied quietly. "I know that Mel isn't trying to hurt Ginny." He paused for a moment, knowing his friends were only acting like this out of concern. "I promise you, nothing will happen," Harry said softly, with a faint grin.

Hermione nodded, returning the grin half-heartedly. His friends really had come around from how they used to act whenever Mel's name was mentioned, and this was the first time in a while that their reaction was that of suspicion towards her. But Harry knew that after the game tomorrow, they wouldn't worry so much anymore. Ginny would be fine, and everything would be okay.

The next morning Harry was up early. He changed quickly and left the dorm, heading down towards the great hall. As he sat down at the Gryffindor table and a plate of food appeared in front of him, he saw someone take the seat across from him and looked up.

"I knew you'd be awake early," Mel smiled at him warmly, her eyes shining.

"So you got up before the sun just to come down and see me?" Harry asked, unable to stop himself from smiling.

"Maybe…" Mel said teasingly, looking innocently towards the ceiling, before continuing on in a more serious tone. "Did Ginny do alright on my broom? I hope she liked it…"

"Oh she loved it," Harry replied quickly. "Thank you for that, it will really help us out."

"Good," Mel said, looking somewhat relieved. "I was a bit afraid she wouldn't accept it…you know, since it was coming from me and all…or I would have asked sooner."

"No Ginny was thrilled to have anything besides that old Cleansweep," Harry assured her, "trust me. I think at this point she would have accepted help from Malfoy even."

"Wow, that bad, ey?" Mel said, wide-eyed.

"Well okay," Harry laughed. "Maybe not from Malfoy…but she was getting desperate."

"Then I'm glad I could help," Mel said with a grin. "I felt pretty bad for getting her stuck in detention…"

"I thought that might have been your reason," Harry smirked at her.

"And now you know," Mel grinned. "So, you all ready for today then?"

"As ready as we're ever gonna be with the time we have to practice," Harry replied.

"Well you haven't had any more or less time than the other team has," Mel commented lightly.

"Which is the only good thing about it," Harry replied with a grin. "At least we know they aren't any better off than us…" he trailed off, hearing the door to the great hall creak open and seeing Ron and Dean walk in sleepily.

"I better go," Mel said quickly, standing up as soon as she caught sight of the boys. "I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"You don't have to leave…" Harry began.

"No, you don't need this right now," she replied hastily. "You need to be concentrating on the game. I'll see you after," she finished, now stepping backwards away from the table.

"See you then," Harry called as she turned away. He watched her go for a moment, before hearing his friends sit down beside him and shifting his attention to them. The rest of the team arrived shortly after, and they talked briefly, once more going over the strategy they hoped to use that day. Harry was quite grateful that no one seemed to be focusing on Ginny's broom this morning.

Soon enough, however, it was time to get ready for the match, and the seven teammates stood up together. They made their way out of the great hall, and down to the pitch.

The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw teams stood across from each other on the pitch, the stands filled with students who were already cheering loudly for one house or the other.

Madam Hooch stood in the center of the field, and called both team captains forward. Harry shook hands with the short Ravenclaw boy, before stepping back and mounting his broom. The whistle blew, and fifteen brooms flew into the air.

Harry immediately began his search for the snitch. He could hear by the running commentary that both teams were doing quite well, and ten minutes into the game Gryffindor was up by twenty points.

Sara was doing the same thing Harry was, and she wasn't sticking close to him, as most seekers normally did. She was flying just a few feet lower than Harry, scanning the field for any trace of the golden snitch.

Harry looked intently at the area around her, squinting in the bright sunlight to see if she was heading in the right direction, when suddenly he saw her abruptly change direction. Looking towards the area she was now heading, he saw the snitch, very close to the ground, and he was nowhere near it.

Putting on a burst of speed Harry swung the tip of his Moontrimmer down and surged forward. Sara was closing the gap faster however, and he knew there was no chance he was going to make it, but that wouldn't stop him from trying.

Cursing under his breath, he laid his body flat against the hilt of his broom, trying to will it to move faster, but Sara was stretching out her arm now, the snitch was barely a foot from her hand, when suddenly it happened. A bludger which neither one of them had noticed was coming from the opposite direction, swung upwards suddenly, directly underneath Sara, and clipped the elbow of her right arm with a sharp crack.

Her broom veered suddenly to the left as she let out an anguished cry, but quickly brought her hands down to try and steady it. Harry had closed the distance between Sara and himself greatly by this point, and flew up alongside her, ready to help her if necessary.

"Are you alright?" he asked when they'd both come to a stop. He was looking from her to the area around them, searching warily for any more stray bludgers.

"My arm hurts," she muttered, gently lifting her sleeve to her elbow at a very peculiar angle.

"It's broken," Harry replied, somberly. "C'mon, I'll help you back…we'll tell Madam Hooch that…"

"No, we'll keep playing," Sara said determinedly.

"You'll never be able to…"

"You did it once, remember?" Sara cut him off, grinning faintly, but Harry could see the pain in her eyes.

"Yes but that all happened in the space of maybe thirty seconds, I didn't stay out long after…"

"Look, Harry. I don't want to put this match off again. Professor Dumbledore might not be willing to let the season continue and we don't have much time left as it is…"

"But what…"

"Do you two need to call a time-out?" Madam Hooch's voice called out, loud and clear from just a few feet away.

"No," Sara replied quickly before Harry could speak. "No everything's fine."

"Mr. Potter?" Hooch asked, turning her gaze on Harry. He turned his eyes, meeting with Sara's pleading stare, before turning back to Madam Hooch and shaking his head. "No we don't need a time-out," he said hesitantly.

"Then get back out there and start playing!" Hooch called sternly, before flying back off into the thick of the match.

Harry gave Mel one more wary glance as she smiled at him and flew off, before continuing his search for the snitch.

Ravenclaw, it seemed, was making a comeback, and they were ahead at this point by thirty points. Harry glanced at Ginny, noticing the hard concentration etched in her features, before looking away. He was glad to see her handling Mel's broom so well, and also that it didn't seem to be cursed or hexed in anyway.

He began circling the pitch, but was unable to concentrate fully. He felt very guilty going for the snitch when he knew Sara would be no match for him. He wanted to win, but he wanted it to be fair. If it came down to a race for the snitch, he didn't know what he'd do.

Sara was flying above, once again in the opposite direction from Harry, and doing an excellent job of hiding her injury. He could see, however, by the grimace on her face, that she was still in pain. Tearing his gaze away, he once again began looking for the snitch, fighting with himself, his want to win; versus needing to play fair, when suddenly, a flash of golden light caught his eye. He looked up to see the snitch had come to a halt, directly in front of him. He put up his hand, anxiously, letting it hover mere inches from the golden ball. Glancing up at Sara, he saw she hadn't even seen that he's spotted the snitch yet, and was still searching in the opposite direction.

It wouldn't be so bad to take it now…not when she doesn't know it's there. It had stopped in front of him, and if Sara hadn't been hurt in the first place and this had happened he would have gone for it without a second thought. This would be the only way to win fairly.

Making his decision, Harry quickly moved his arm the rest of the way forward, and closed his fingers around the snitch.

Harry heard the cheers from the crowd grow to a deafening volume as the announcement went through the stands. He'd caught the snitch and Gryffindor had officially won the first match of the quidditch season.

The two teams flew back down to the pitch quickly, and Harry immediately headed for Sara who was holding her arm gingerly.

"You need to go to the hospital wing," he said quietly.

"I'm going there, don't worry," Sara replied with a faint nod. "Congratulations on winning," she added with a grin.

"No, you should have won," Harry spoke quickly. "If it hadn't been for that bludger…"

"That's the way the game works, Harry," Sara interrupted, laughing slightly. "Sometimes things seem to be going one way, and then bang you get sideswiped by a bludger and it all changes. That's quidditch. Don't say I was supposed to win…whoever makes it to the snitch wins, end of story."

"Alright then," Harry smiled, holding up his hands defensively. "You win…or I did, rather," he laughed.

"Yes you did," Sara nodded, grinning widely. She looked over her shoulder, about to start back for the school, when someone called her name, causing her to turn around.

"Hey you two!" Mel said cheerfully as she walked up to them.

"Hi Mel," Sara said pleasantly.

"Hey," Harry grinned.

"Great game guys, really I loved it!" Mel exclaimed excitedly. "But what happened there? I saw you both stop and talk to each other…you were there for a while too…"

"Sara got hit with a bludger," Harry said quickly.

"I saw that," Mel nodded, turning to her cousin. "You're alright, aren't you? I assumed you must be seeing as how you didn't stop the game…"

"Well," Sara replied, lowering her eyes. "Actually…"

"Yes?" Mel persisted, refusing to lift her gaze. "C'mon, out with it then."

"I sort of…well…broke my arm…"

"How do you sort of break your arm?" Mel asked wryly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay it's broke," Sara said hastily, "the bludger hit it…hard. That was that."

"Did you know about this?" Mel asked, turning towards Harry.

"He wanted to stop the game," Sara replied earnestly before Harry could speak a word. "I wouldn't let him."

Mel glanced back and forth between the two skeptically, before sighing and shaking her head.

"Let's go then," she grinned at her cousin. "I'll walk you to the hospital wing."

"Yes mum," Sara replied teasing, sticking her tongue out at her cousin.

Mel just rolled her eyes before turning once more back to Harry.

"I'm really sorry," he began immediately. "I probably should have just…"

"Hey don't worry about it," Mel cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Knowing Sara, I completely believe her not letting you stop the game. She can be very stubborn at times. But anyway I just wanted to ask you a quick question."

"Anything," Harry replied with a smirk

"I know you're going to be celebrating tonight, and if it's anything like the ones we have I'm sure it'll last all night. But if you're not doing anything tomorrow…maybe we could spend the day together?" she finished, somewhat timidly, but keeping their gazes locked.

"Sure," Harry replied, smiling. "I'd love to."

"Great," Mel replied with a grin. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Congratulations…and have fun tonight," she winked.

"I will," Harry replied happily. He waved as he watched them walk away, before making his way back towards the rest of his team.

When the whole of the Gryffindor students were at last all back in their common room, the celebration began. Everyone was glad to have something to cheer about, and the party went long into the night. Harry made sure to ask Ginny how the Tinderblast had been during the match, assuring that everyone heard the answer. Mel hadn't been trying to set them up to lose, or hurt Ginny in any way, and now no one could argue the matter. Ginny hadn't had a single problem, and in the end, they'd won the game.

Harry decided to head to bed earlier than he normally would at one of these parties, however, wanting to make sure he didn't sleep through too much of the next day. It was after two in the morning when he told his friends he was going to get some sleep, and they looked at him curiously.

"The match took that much out of you, did it?" Ron asked jokingly.

"No, I just don't want to sleep through tomorrow," Harry replied, grinning.

"Why? What's tomorrow?" Hermione asked.

"I'm meeting up with Mel," Harry replied.

"Oh…that's nice," Ginny remarked with a grin.

"Have fun," Hermione added.

Harry just shook his head and laughed.

"Well now that I have your approval," he joked, "I'm heading off. Good night."

"Night Harry," Ron said with a small wave.

Harry nodded once more, before turning and making his way up to the dorms. Once he was changed and lying in his bed, he had no trouble drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

The next day, Harry opened his eyes slowly. Sitting up and grabbing his glasses, he checked his watch and was surprised to see it was almost time for lunch. Pushing the covers away, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and went to his closet. He slipped a shirt over his head and pulled on a pair of pants quickly, before heading to his trunk of crystals.

He hadn't used one the day before, after asking Cole if that would be allowed. He didn't want to take the chance of anything disrupting the game, and with only a little hesitation, Cole agreed to his request. Today however, he was to begin using the meticulous crystal. Harry moved his hand over the stones until he found one that glowed pale blue, and called on it. When the soft haze was surrounding him, he closed the trunk, and headed downstairs.

The Gryffindor common room was a mess, and no one seemed to be awake yet. Harry stopped for a moment at the portrait hole, surveying the room curiously. He'd never seen it so messy in the morning, and wondered why the house elves hadn't gotten to it yet. Shrugging off the thought, and hoping everything was alright, he stepped out into the hallway and started towards the great hall.

Upon entering the hall, Harry scanned the room quickly, searching for Mel, but didn't see her. They'd never discussed where or when they would meet, so Harry assumed this would probably end up being the place. Hearing his stomach give a low rumble, he decided to get something to eat while he waited. He made his way over to the Gryffindor table and sat down.

After a few moments had passed, Harry heard footsteps nearing him and looked up to see Mel coming to a stop just beside him. Harry couldn't help but stare at her for a moment, she wore a short, light violet top that looked very pretty next to her long blonde hair, and khaki colored pants. She sat down in the empty space on the bench next to him, but facing the opposite direction, her back to the table.

"Grapefruit?" she offered, holding up the citrus fruit she'd been picking at.

"No, thank you," Harry laughed, holding up a hand. "I don't much care for those anymore."

"Really? Why not?" Mel asked. "I love them."

"I never minded them," Harry said quickly. "Until I had to basically live on them for an entire summer when Dudley was on a diet. Aunt Petunia made all of us go on it with him…"

"Oy Harry, these people sound worse and worse the more you tell me about them," Mel remarked, shaking her head in wonder.

"Well if I think of a more pleasant story about them I'll be sure to tell you," he replied.

Mel simply shook her head and grinned. They sat in silence for a few moments more, eating together. When Harry was finished and Mel had polished off the end of the fruit, they both stood up.

"Where to?" Harry asked as they headed for the exit.

"How about you pick what we do now, and I'll pick what we do tonight," Mel suggested sweetly.

"Okay," Harry replied, raising an eyebrow at her. "Do I want to know what you're up to?"

"I'm up to nothing…nothing at all," Mel grinned.

"And I almost believe you," Harry replied, sardonically, but he didn't ask any more questions. "Alright so if I get to pick what we're doing…how about we play a game of chess? I know I'm gonna lose…but maybe I'll learn something from watching you," he laughed.

"I'm always up for chess," Mel replied, smiling. "Let me just go grab my board."

They walked together down into the dungeon area, and Harry waited outside the Slytherin portrait hole while Mel went inside for the game pieces, before they both started back towards the great hall.

For a few hours, Harry and Mel sat across from one another playing through several games of chess, and as expected, Harry lost each one. Ron, Hermione and Ginny came in at one point, having finally woken up, and watched the progress of one of the games while they ate. Ron was particularly interested in Mel's strategy, and was practically leaning over her shoulder the entire time she played. After a while, Hermione finally managed to pull her boyfriend away, and they left Harry and Mel to enjoy the rest of their day together.

When they were fully tired of playing chess, they walked back to the Slytherin dorms and Mel dropped her stuff off, before they began to walk aimlessly through the halls, talking about anything that came to mind. Soon enough, as it began to grow later, Harry felt the small hunger pangs in his stomach begin to grow.

"So," Mel spoke up suddenly, a small grin on her face, "Whadaya say…ready to eat?"

"You read my mind," Harry laughed.

"No…I heard your tummy," Mel teased, "it's quite loud when you're hungry, you know."

"Is it?" Harry replied, looking down at his stomach. "I hadn't noticed."

"Well I can't understand how you could possibly miss it," Mel said matter-of-factly.

"Maybe you just need your ears cleaned," Harry suggested jokingly. "Obviously you're hearing things that aren't really there…"

"Oh hush you," Mel said, rolling her eyes. "I know what I heard, and now that we're on the subject, I'm pretty hungry too."

"Then to the kitchen it is," Harry stated, smiling.

"Well…actually…I have to make on stop first," Mel said hastily.

"Oh, alright," Harry said. "Where to?"

"Just back down to my dorm…I need to grab something that I left there…"

"Why didn't you get it one of the last two times we've been down there today?" Harry laughed as they started back towards the dungeon area.

"Because it's too heavy to be carrying around with me all through the school," Mel replied simply.

"Too heavy?" Harry repeated. "Well…what is it?"

"I'll tell ya later," Mel replied with a wink.

"Okay," Harry replied with a curious smirk. "Whatever you say…"

They reached the Slytherin portrait hole for the third time that day, and Mel stepped through quickly. She was barely inside a minute, when the portrait swung open again, and she stepped back out into the hall holding a medium sized dark blue case.

"Here," Harry said immediately, holding his arms out. "I'll take it for you…"

"But you can't look," Mel said as he lifted it from her hands. "Promise."

"I promise I won't look," Harry nodded with a smile.

"Good," Mel replied, returning the smile. "Then off we go…to the kitchen."

When they'd reached the portrait that led to the kitchen, Mel held out her hand and tickled the pear. Harry smiled at the gleeful expression on her face as she always seemed to love doing that, and the portrait opened slowly. Harry set the case down just inside, hearing something light slide from one end to the other as he did so, before turning to see the house-elves in front of him.

The two students stepped slowly forward, exchanging puzzled glances. The house elves were hard at work as they normally were, but something was missing. They all looked a bit tired, to say the least, and most of them were sweating lightly.

"Do you think they're sick?" Mel asked warily, in a very hushed tone.

"I don't know," Harry replied quietly. "But I don't think they'd be allowed to make all the food and such if they were…"

"But then what…"

"Hello young master."

Harry looked down and immediately recognized Linri coming towards him, looking slightly pale. "What can Linri do for you, sir?"

"Linri," Harry began gently, kneeling down to be at eye level with the small creature. "Are all of you alright? Is everyone sick?"

"Linri is fine young master. Others are fine too."

"Then why do you all look so…tired?" Harry asked.

Linri looked up at Harry with big brown eyes, blinking curiously.

"Linri is not tired. What can Linri do for you, sir?" she repeated.

Harry eyed her skeptically for a moment, before standing back up beside Mel.

"We were actually coming to see if we could get some food," Harry began hesitantly, "but if you aren't feeling well…"

"Linri is fine," the house-elf said with a weak smile. She quickly called to the others, who all looked just as tired, and soon Harry and Mel had plates full of food to take with them.

"Are you sure everything's alright, Linri?" Harry asked, concerned. "Did something happen today?"

Linri seemed to think for a moment, putting a hand up to her face and stroking her tiny chin, when a slight wave of recognition seemed to pass through her eyes.

"Someone was here today, a visitor…" she began.

"Who was it?" Harry asked, intrigued. "What did they want?"

"Linri does not know," the small house-elf whispered, looking suddenly confused.

"It's alright, don't worry," Harry said gently, trying to calm the poor house-elf down. "Do you remember what the visitor looked like?"

"Linri did not see his face," she replied, "only the visitor's cloak. Visitor wore a black cloak."

"Oh," Harry replied with an inaudible sigh. A black cloak didn't help them much, it could be anyone. "Thank you Linri…I hope you feel better."

"Linri is fine, young master."

"Well then I hope everything's alright," Harry laughed at the house-elf's persistence. He and Mel waved good-bye and went back to the portrait hole. Harry picked up Mel's case once more, and balanced his plate carefully on top of it, before they set off into the halls once more.

Mel directed Harry though the halls as they walked beside each other. His mind was very much on what Linri had just told him, and he was struggling with the idea of going directly to the headmaster. They'd all seemed so afraid. But on the other hand, the house-elves would surely know if the visitor had been an intruder, and would be all too willing to get rid of him if that were the case. The Inquisitors would be aware of his presence as well. Shaking the thoughts from his head, trying to convince himself it wasn't a big deal, Harry turned to Mel with a faint grin.

"So where will we be eating this evening?" he asked as they slowly moved up a long corridor on the fourth floor.

"Well, I know we said we wouldn't use the same place twice…but I really want to go back to the north tower again," Mel said, smiling up at him.

"Oh, I see," Harry began wryly. "You just want to make me work harder…carrying this case all the way up to…"

"Oh please," Mel rolled her eyes laughing. "If it's so heavy I'll take it you baby."

"No, no," Harry said, pretending to be hurt. "I can do it…I'll be fine…"

Mel just laughed and looked away. They reached the north tower several minutes later and unlocked the door, slipping in silently and shutting it behind them.

"So," Harry began. "Do you ever plan on telling me what's in here?" he asked as he set the case down gently on the nearest desk.

"Well of course I do silly," Mel replied teasingly. "But first, let's eat."

"Okay then," Harry laughed, crossing the room and sitting down across from Mel underneath the glass ceiling. It was a beautifully clear night, the stars were out and sparkling as far as you could see, the moonlight shown down so brightly they didn't need to worry about lighting any candles. They ate in silence, enjoying the view and each other's company. When at last they were both full, they sat for a few moments more, just looking out at the stars, feeling completely at peace.

"So pretty," Mel murmured. "I wish we had a view like this from our dorms…we don't even have windows…"

Harry glanced over to her upon hearing her statement, his brow furrowed in confusion, before he realized she was right. The dungeon area was in the middle of the school, there was nothing leading to the outside from where they were.

"I never even thought of that," Harry remarked quietly.

"Well, what can you do, right? At least I don't have to stay there all the time. I only sleep there…"

"Now I know why you always like to spend time in these types of classrooms," Harry said, nodding at the windows surrounding them.

Mel nodded, smiling faintly, before sitting back on her arms and sighing softly. Harry looked at her for a moment, feeling a small flood of emotion towards her. He opened his mouth to speak again, when she sat up abruptly.

"So," she smiled shyly. "Wanna see what's in the box?"

Harry nodded ardently as the two of them stood and moved towards the desk. Mel took hold of the blue case and laid it down on its side, clicking the locks on either side gently, before slowly raising the lid. Harry stood just behind her, looking over her shoulder curiously, until the case was fully opened in front of them. Mel reached her hands inside gently, pulling out what had to be a very old record player. She placed it gingerly on the desk, before reaching in again and pulling out a small piece of black plastic.

"This always falls off," she murmured absently as she replaced the tip of the needle. Turning once again towards the case, she extracted a large folder, and pulled a sleek, black disc out from the sleeve.

"Felt like listening to some music?" Harry asked, grinning as he watched her place the album on the player.

"Yep, that I did," Mel replied with a smirk as she finally got the player going. Harry heard the familiar crackling noise he remembered from Privet Drive, when his aunt and uncle used to play their dinner music, usually only during special occasions for which Harry was confined to his cupboard. But he'd always enjoyed listening to the music that would waft in from down the hall.

"Why the big secret then?" Harry asked as Mel stepped away from the player. The music began softly and the first few notes reminded Harry very much of a music box, playing a very familiar tune.

"I guess I just wanted it to be a surprise," Mel replied, a small grin on her lips. She kept her eyes locked with Harry's before taking a small step closer.

"Dance with me?" she asked hopefully.

"You…you want to dance? Here?" Harry asked, both amused and surprised.

"Yes, I do," Mel replied.

"This song sounds a bit…fast," he continued, uncertainly. "It sounds familiar too…I'm sure Aunt Petunia must've played it before…"

"It's called Dancing in the Moonlight," Mel said casually, reaching out and taking one of Harry's hands. "You might not recognize it right away because it's a bit of a different version than the one I'm sure your aunt listened too."

"Oh," Harry said, allowing her to lead him a few feet over until they were back under the glass ceiling. "I don't know if I'll be any good at this," he said quickly. "I've only ever done slow-dancing."

"Trust me, there are no steps to this one," Mel laughed. "Just have fun."

Harry laughed faintly, slipping his arm around Mel's waist. He kept hold of her hand in his, and they began to move together to the beat of the music. At first, Mel took the lead, obviously more confident at what she was doing than Harry. But after the first minute, he was twirling her around, the two of them laughing in each other's arms.

He would spin her away from him, and immediately pull her back into a couple's stance. They whirled almost recklessly across the floor, and after another moment, there was no separation between them, their movements were fluid and as close to graceful as you could get for not having planned the dance.

Near the end of the song, the music suddenly became low and all that could be heard were the singers and the music box. Harry and Mel slowed their pace, swaying very faintly, pressed against one another. The small flood of emotion Harry had felt only moments earlier returned in full, and he didn't hesitate in the slightest as he leant slowly towards Mel. He felt her lips brush his own and they kissed gently.

When he pulled back, expecting to see surprise or worse in Mel's eyes, he was relieved to see her smiling up at him, her gaze locked with his own. She moved forward slightly and he leant down again, kissing her a bit harder this time, the music still playing in the background as the song slowly faded out. He felt her hands move from his shoulder to his neck as he deepened the kiss, before they both pulled back.

The stood apart, barely an inch between them, looking uncertainly at one another, neither one sure what to say, until Mel spoke up anxiously.

"Ginny's not going to try and kill me now…right?"

Harry stared at her in bemusement for a moment, before laughing faintly at the utter seriousness of her question.

"No, no she won't," he replied with a large smile.

"Good," Mel replied, beaming at him. He leant down and kissed her again, softly, feeling as if he'd wanted this for some time now. They slowly sunk down to the floor, abandoning the dance altogether, and sat in each other's arms, staring out at the night sky.

Harry wanted the night to continue forever, he wanted to stay beside Mel on this perfect evening, holding her in his arms. But the crystal was whispering in his mind, reminding him about curfew, and try as he might, he couldn't ignore it any longer. Shifting his position slightly, he pulled his watch out of his pocket and saw it was definitely time to go.

Sensing what he was about to tell her Mel slid forward and they stood up slowly.

"That time already, huh?" she asked with a sigh.

"I'm afraid so," Harry replied. "But we're not as late as last time at least. C'mon, I'll walk you back downstairs."

Crossing the room, Harry waited as Mel carefully put the record player back in its case, snapping the locks securely before he picked it up in his arms. They exited the classroom, remembering to lock the door behind them and started downstairs.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. There was no awkwardness in their silence, only comfort. Harry gently shifted the case in his grasp so that he was holding it under his left arm, before reaching out with his free hand and taking Mel's in his own.

She moved closer to him as they walked and before they realized it, they had come to the corridor that led down to the dungeon area.

"You don't have to come any further if you don't want to," Mel said, slowing her pace slightly and looking up at Harry.

"Of course I want to," Harry replied gently. "I said I was walking you back to your room and that's exactly what I intend to do."

"Well, to the portrait hole anyway," Mel laughed. "I don't think it'd be the best idea for you to come in."

"Yes I know," Harry replied, shaking his head. "Trust me I know." They walked on for another moment before a new thought occurred to Harry and he looked at Mel suddenly.

"No one in your house would try anything against you for this, right?" he asked seriously.

"What do you mean?" Mel inquired.

"I mean…well when you asked me about Ginny…there's no one in your house that's going to be…upset, right?"

"Harry, I think everyone in my house would be upset, but none of them will do anything."

"Are you sure?" Harry persisted, suddenly very concerned. "Because if any of them ever…"

"Harry," Mel interrupted gently, bringing them both to a halt. "Don't worry about me. The people I live with may not like all the choices I make, but we'd never try to hurt each other…not for anything."

Harry didn't reply. After a long moment, he nodded faintly, but still his worry wouldn't dissipate. He knew Mel was telling the truth, but no one in Slytherin had ever even been friends with him before Mel…and he hoped that it wouldn't cause any of them to retaliate against her if they'd found out. Coming after him would be one thing, but if they hurt Mel to get to him…

Looking up abruptly, Harry was startled out of his thoughts as a low growling noise filled the air around them.

"Did you hear that?" Mel asked, looking suddenly alert. Harry nodded silently, kneeling down and placing the blue case gently on the stone floor, before slowly raising himself back up and drawing out his wand.

For a few tense moments, neither Harry nor Mel uttered a sound. The low growl that they'd heard had been all around them, and they were nervously scanning the dark hall, hoping to see something, anything, that would tell them where the noise was coming from.

Suddenly Harry heard someone moving, coming from further up the hall, the direction he and Mel had originally been heading. Turning towards the sound slowly, Harry caught sight of something on the floor several feet in front of where he and Mel stood. He couldn't make it out and began to raise his wand so he could light the corridor, when he was knocked backwards, full-force, as something slammed into his stomach.

Harry hit the cold, stone floor hard, gasping for air, dimly aware that the same thing had happened to Mel as he heard her begin to cough roughly from just beside him. The pain in his gut was enough to make his eyes water, and he struggled to at least sit back up, when he suddenly became aware of something moving around him.

A thick looking sinewy cord, slicked with a gooey substance, was snaking its way around his body, pinning his arms to his sides. Harry started to struggle, but it was too late, the tether of sinew had wrapped itself securely around him, and whatever the liquid was, it made the cords too sticky to even hope to move. Glancing over, he saw Mel was in the same predicament, as she was weakly trying to free herself from the bonds.

Harry began looking around quickly, for whoever or whatever had done this to them. He could see something moving a short way up the hall, and could do nothing but watch as the figure began advancing on them.

Harry glanced again at Mel, who was obviously in a great deal of pain, faint tears running down her face, and her breathing still sounded irregular. He was still taking shallow breaths as well, forcing himself not to concentrate on the pain but how they were going to get out of this. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw their wands lying a few feet behind them. The force of the blows earlier had caused both of them to lose their grips on their wands.

As he turned back around, a sudden wave of panic washed over Harry. He fought to push it away as the dark figure that had been moving towards them stepped into the dim lighting of the corridor, revealing itself at last.


	25. Chapter 25

It had the basic shape of a human, and wore a sleeveless black tunic, but its body had somehow been horrifyingly altered. Its skin was very slippery looking, and the veins bulged out all over its body. It had no hair, but the top of its head seemed almost as if it were pulled back tightly, forming a curved spike that swung down behind its head. The ears were drizzling a sickeningly thick green liquid and as it stepped closer still, Harry could see the same gooey substance on the creature's lips.

It towered over the students, glaring down at them for a moment, before turning slightly and stepping towards Mel.

"No!" Harry cried, the creature's movement breaking his momentary paralysis. "Leave her alone!"

The horrifying being turned its head towards Harry, baring a row of razor sharp teeth and growling darkly, before turning back to Mel. It lowered itself down so it was kneeling on the hard stones of the corridor, and began to crawl towards her. Mel was doing all she could to get away, but without the use of her arms, all she could do was push herself backwards by kicking against the stone floor.

Harry watched helplessly as the creature advanced on Mel, seeing the terror in her eyes and hearing her breathing become faster and more panicked. Her eyes were wide with fear and the creature seemed to be enjoying every minute of it.

Harry tore his eyes away, focusing on his wand a few feet behind him. He had no idea what would work against this thing, but he had to try. Pushing with his feet, he began inching his way backwards, now fully understanding why it seemed so hard for Mel. The liquid on the tethers was so thick and sticky; it was slowing his progress greatly. He set his jaw in determination, however, refusing to give up, and using all his strength, he kicked at the floor harshly, closing the gap slowly.

Barely having gone even a foot, Harry looked up as he heard Mel suddenly cry out, the first time she'd done so since this started, only to see the creature fully on top of her now, it's teeth bared menacingly and green ooze trickling down on Mel's face and neck. She was straining desperately to loosen the cords around her and Harry felt his heart literally stop as he watched. It was happening again. She was going to be killed right in front of him, and he could do nothing to stop it.

"Not yet!" a harsh, terrifying voice suddenly rang out. The creature jumped up as if it had been struck, seeming to hunch over, fearfully.

"Your job is done…" the voice spoke again, "you will leave now." Harry watched, barely breathing as the creature lowered its head. It never gave either of them a second glance, before slinking off down the dark corridor. Harry again squinted his eyes, straining to see who had spoken, but he could make nothing out at all, not even a vague shape…nothing. The voice had been deep, but layered. It sounded like many different voices, but at the same time, only one. And something about it was frighteningly familiar.

Struggling slightly, Harry started to force himself back into an upright position, when the cords around him loosened suddenly, and began to slough off, as if they were rotting away. Standing up shakily, trying to calm his breathing, he crossed the hallway and knelt down beside Mel, who was just beginning to sit up.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, his eyes searching her own.

Mel nodded faintly, lifting her hand and wiping absently at a dollop of the green liquid that was on her face.

"What was that?" she whispered fearfully. Harry shook his head slowly.

"I don't know," he replied gently. She nodded again, taking a long shaky breath, and Harry could see she was trembling.

"Hey," he began in a soothing tone. "It's gone now, you're safe." He shifted his position slightly so he was sitting right beside her and wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace. Mel leant her head down into his chest and held him tightly. She needed to go to the hospital wing, that much he could tell by her breathing, and it probably wouldn't be a bad idea for him to go as well. They sat against the wall of the corridor, Harry rocking Mel gently in his arms, his mind racing with questions.

What had that thing been? How did it get in the school? Where were the Inquisitors? Why had it gone after Mel?

It crawled towards her…  
Harry nearly started as he heard the voice of the meticulous crystal. Why hadn't it spoken during the attack? Why didn't it try to help him?

Yes I saw that, Harry thought back.

Well…maybe this is one of the 'crawls' we're looking for…

Crawls, Harry repeated absently. Dobby was so afraid of them…now I know why.

Looking up again, Harry noticed their wands were still lying in the middle of the floor a few feet away. He glanced down at Mel, who was still lying against him, wide-awake.

"C'mon," he said softly. "Let's get out of here, we should go to the hospital wing…"

"Alright," Mel nodded passively. She sat up, allowing Harry to stand, and then he turned to help her to her feet. As soon as she had straightened up, however, she clutched her stomach and doubled over again.

Harry reached out quickly to steady her, holding her arms firmly.

"Take it easy," he murmured as she began breathing rapidly once more, "I've got you…" He felt so horrible for her, wishing there were anything he could do to make her more comfortable. Whatever the creature had thrown at them in the beginning, it was obviously affecting her much worse. He was so very glad he'd decided to walk her down here, shuddering at the thought of what might have happened if she were alone.

"I'm alright," Mel nodded faintly, looking anything but. "I'll be fine."

Harry knew she was lying, but wasn't going to argue with her about it here. He left her side for less than a minute so he could cross the hall and grab their wands, before returning and handing Mel's back to her. She wasn't looking at him as he did so, however, her eyes were focused down the corridor, on the small oddly shaped form that had caught Harry's attention in the first place.

"What do you suppose that is?" she asked, nodding towards the shape.

"No idea," Harry replied quietly. Raising his wand, he quickly lit the corridor. "Lumos."

At once, a brilliant bright light splayed across the walls from the tip of Harry's wand and he aimed it down at the figure. At first, it looked like a sack of some sort, filled with potatoes or fruit, but as he took a tentative step closer, he recognized the form immediately, inhaling sharply.

"What?" Mel asked, her eyes widening once more. "What is it?"

"Dobby," Harry barely whispered, already moving forward towards the small house-elf. He reached Dobby's form in less than a second, and knelt immediately down beside him. Dobby was rolled over on his side, his back facing Harry.

"Dobby?" he asked, hesitantly, leaning over slightly and seeing the house-elf's eyes were closed. He reached out a hand, touching it to Dobby's arm and gave a gentle shake. "Can you hear met?" he asked quietly. He heard Mel's small footsteps coming up beside him just before she knelt down as well.

"Is he alright?" she whispered, her eyes flickering back and forth between Harry and Dobby. Harry shook his head, indicating he didn't know, before shaking the house-elf once more.

"Dobby, please can you hear me?" he asked loudly. This time the momentum of Harry's movement caused Dobby's form to roll onto its back, and Harry felt the color drain out of his face as Mel gave a small gasp.

A strand of the sinewy tether was protruding from a large gash in the house-elf's chest, blood soaking his clothes and forming a puddle on the area just beside him. Dobby was dead.

"It killed him," Mel spoke up in shaky disbelief, turning and staring at Harry. "Why would that creature kill Dobby?"

Harry shook his head sadly, unable to pry his eyes from the dark, gaping wound on the house-elf's chest.

"Dobby knew something about them…" he spoke quietly, "whatever that thing was. I think they wanted to stop him from telling anyone else what he knew."

"I thought that Dobby hasn't been in the school for a while now though," Mel remarked.

"That's right," Harry confirmed with a brief nod. "I've been looking for him for over a month…" he trailed off, reaching down and touching the small house-elf's arm. "He's still warm…this only just happened…"

"Harry I'm so sorry," Mel whispered, looking back down at Dobby's still form before closing her eyes tightly.

"Don't be," he replied gently, putting his arm around her and drawing her into his embrace. He let her rest her head on his shoulder for a brief moment, before taking a deep breath and glancing once more at Dobby.

"We better get going for real this time," Harry spoke up quietly. "I don't like the idea of staying in this hallway any longer and it's already well after curfew…"

"What about…?" Mel began, glancing down at the house-elf.

"I'm taking him with us," Harry replied evenly. "I can't just leave him here."

Mel nodded again, slowly pushing herself up on her knees before standing. She winced in pain as she did so, which caused Harry to look at her sharply.

"Can you walk alright?" Harry asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," Mel spoke quietly. But her breathing wasn't improving and Harry was growing nervous.

Turning away from her for a moment, he raised his wand and lifted Dobby's lifeless form gently into the air. One of the house-elf's small, frail arms swung down at his side, thick blood dripping from his tiny fingers. Mel let out a sickening moan, bringing her hands up to her face and turning away as Harry stepped closer to the small, floating figure.

He gently lifted Dobby's arm, placing it across his chest just above the wound. He felt a small lump begin to rise in his throat as the reality of what had happened truly began setting in, but swallowed it forcefully. Now was not the time, he had to get them out of here quickly.

"C'mon," he spoke softly, tearing his eyes away from Dobby and looking to Mel. "Let's get going." She nodded faintly, shuffling over to where he stood and letting him put an arm around her back as she leant her head against his shoulder. He began leading Mel forward, as she seemed slightly dazed now, her eyes only half open and unfocused as they walked. In his right hand, he kept his wand out in front of him, keeping Dobby's form just a few paces ahead of them, as they made their way towards the hospital wing.

A short while later, the double doors to the hospital wing at last came into view, and Harry breathed an inaudible sigh of relief as he pushed them open fully. He allowed Mel to step in first, before he directed Dobby's form through and entered the room.

Mel sat down in the nearest chair, breathing hard, as Harry glanced anxiously around at the mostly empty ward. After only a moment, he started towards the office, silently praying to find Madam Pomfrey at her desk, when suddenly he heard his name.

"Mr. Harry Potter," Madam Pomfrey called out, coming through a doorway on the opposite side of the room. She crossed the room briskly as she continued. "What can I do for you at this late hour?"

Harry turned around fully as she neared him, directing Dobby's form with him. As soon as Madam Pomfrey caught sight of the house-elf, her eyes widened.

"Set him down quickly, we need to…"

"He's dead," Harry interrupted her flatly.

Madam Pomfrey stared at him, her eyes sad as she raised her wand.

"Let me take him Harry," she said gently. "I'll bring him in the back."

Harry nodded, grateful to not have to look at Dobby like this any longer. As Madam Pomfrey started to turn away, Harry called out to her quickly.

"Mel is hurt," he said hastily, pointing towards where Mel was slouching in one of the chairs near the entrance. "She's not breathing right…"

Madam Pomfrey glanced at Mel and nodded curtly.

"I'll need to look at her straight away then, I'll only be a moment," she said hastily, turning and striding across the room. Harry watched her until she was out of sight, before turning and heading back towards the entrance.

"She'll be here in a minute," he told Mel as he knelt down beside her chair, taking one of her hands in his. He could hear her breathing now, as if she had to force herself to do so, and her other hand was clutching the lower part of her chest.

"That's good," Mel barely whispered in reply. Harry couldn't understand what had happened to her that was causing this. He could certainly still feel the strong ache in his stomach from where he'd been hit by whatever the creature had thrown at them, but it was slowly fading. Mel only seemed to be getting worse.

"Alright Miss Tristen," Madam Pomfrey said firmly as she walked up to the chair. "Let's have a look at you."

Mel looked up drowsily, nodding once as she pushed herself to the edge of the chair. Harry put an arm around her to keep her steady when she started to rise as he saw the pained expression return once more, and looked anxiously to Madam Pomfrey.

"Hurt's right here does it?" Madam Pomfrey asked, moving Mel's hand aside gently and touching the spot she'd been holding.

"Yes," Mel winced as Pomfrey's fingers pressed against her chest.

Madam Pomfrey nodded, a hint of recognition in her eyes as she took Mel gently by the arm.

"Come right over here, dear. I'll need a closer look."

Harry watched as the two of them crossed the room to the nearest examination table. Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtains and Harry lowered himself into the chair to wait.

Several minutes later, Harry heard the curtains move again, and looked up to see Madam Pomfrey striding towards him.

"Mr. Potter, this way please," she said briskly, before turning abruptly and moving towards another examination table.

"Is Mel alright?" Harry asked, trotting to catch up with Pomfrey.

"She'll be fine, now let me see your stomach."

"My…but…she's really alright then?" Harry stammered.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Tristen is going to recuperate just fine. She told me that you were hit in the same way she was however, and I need for you to lift your shirt so I can see the spot."

Harry shook his head, wanting to see with his own eyes that Mel truly was fine, but knew that standing here and arguing would only make it longer until he could do so. Grabbing the bottom of his shirt quickly, Harry lifted the material in his hands so his stomach was exposed, and felt his jaw drop. There was a very large, black bruise across his entire midsection, where he'd been hit.

"Yours is much lower, thankfully," Madam Pomfrey commented absently as she inspected the bruise closer.

"What do you mean, lower?" Harry asked. "Where was Mel hit?"

Madam Pomfrey straightened up quickly and met Harry's gaze.

"She was hit on her upper chest, by something very large and heavy apparently. It cracked several of her ribs and I still need to check her lungs."

"She's going to be okay, right?" Harry asked anxiously, looking towards the curtains that Mel was behind.

"I see no reason why not, this is something I can fix easily. And I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for both of you showing up here so late with these horrible injuries, yes?" she asked with one eyebrow raised.

Harry nodded; relieved to hear Mel would be alright.

"I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore," he said quietly.

"I thought you might say that," Pomfrey replied with a nod. "You're both spending the night here, however. I'll take you both to your room first. Then I'll get the headmaster."

Harry nodded, feeling in no mood to argue after the night he'd just been through. He had to find out what that creature was, feeling quiet confident it had to be one of the crawls Dobby had been so scared of. Why had it gone after Mel instead of him? Who had stopped it? And most of all, what did Dobby know about them that ended up getting him killed?

A short while later, Madam Pomfrey had Harry and Mel both settled into beds in one of the upper levels of the hospital wing. She drew the curtains around Mel's bed, making Harry promise to just let her get some rest for the time being, before heading back downstairs to summon the headmaster.

Harry looked again at the bruise on his stomach. Madam Pomfrey had applied a glossy orange cream to it only moments ago, and already it was beginning to heal. He could actually see his skin changing back to its normal color. Lowering his shirt once more, he leant back against the headboard, and waited for Dumbledore to arrive.

A short while later, the door to the room opened and Madam Pomfrey walked in, followed by the headmaster, Sirius, Remus and Cole. Dumbledore whispered something to Pomfrey who replied with a nod, before exiting the room silently.

Sirius and Remus were already at Harry's bedside, asking him if he were alright, looking him over to see for themselves. He lifted up his shirt to show them the bruise, which was now a deep shade of blue.

"Who did that to you?" Sirius asked darkly.

"I'm not sure what it was," Harry replied. "But I think it might be one of the crawls Dobby was so afraid of…" he trailed off, the house-elf's lifeless image flashing through his mind. Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to shake the picture from his head.

"Madam Pomfrey told us you brought Dobby in with you," Dumbledore spoke up then, gravely. "She also told us about yours and Miss Tristen's injuries. What we need now is to know how this came about."

Harry nodded, recognizing his cue to start explaining, and as quickly as he could, told them of that evening's events. He started from where he and Mel had heard the growling, and finished with making it to the hospital wing.

"Madam Pomfrey took Dobby…and after looking at Mel and I, went to get you…" Harry finished, trailing off and looking up at the headmaster.

"That thing that attacked you," Remus began in puzzlement. "I've never heard of anything like it before."

"Neither had I," Harry replied. "And I wish it'd stayed that way," he paused, now looking towards Cole who had yet to speak since he'd arrived. "Do you know what it was? Could that be one of the crawls Dobby was trying to tell us about?"

Cole looked up to meet his gaze, before nodding slowly.

"It's called a Fleshcrawler. Another of the many creatures of Faerun."

Interesting, isn't it? We told him of Dobby being afraid of 'crawls' and the term Fleshcrawler never entered his mind?

Harry listened to the voice of the crystal but didn't reply. The tone wasn't exactly one of suspicion, but of bewilderment.

"The meticulous crystal," Harry started. "It never said anything the whole time Mel and I were in trouble. But then afterwards it did…why did it wait so long?"

"Fleshcrawlers have the ability to hinder or block off other magic," Cole explained. "They can make you as powerless as a muggle in their presence, unless you're a wizard. They seem to have no effect against human witches and wizards. Your powers as a Psion, however, can be affected. The crystal, most likely, was trying to talk to you. You just wouldn't have been able to hear it."

"So, I can never use the crystals against them then?" Harry asked.

"When you are fully trained, you should have no trouble using your powers against a Fleshcrawler, should you need to. It's only while your powers aren't fully developed that these creatures will pose a problem."

"Then that must be why Dobby was so afraid of them," Harry said quietly. "He couldn't use his magic to defend himself. Though I still want to know what Cho has to do with any of this…"

"I'm betting one of these things took her to Voldemort that night," Sirius said grimly.

"Dobby may have even tried to help her…only to discover he couldn't," Remus added.

Harry nodded slowly, before looking back at Cole with another question.

"The Inquisitors…is their magic affected by the Fleshcrawlers too?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Cole nodded. "As I said, the only beings that have full use of their magic when in range of a Fleshcrawler, are human wizards and witches."

Harry shook his head, feeling the frustration building within. Just when things seemed to be going well…

"Why, do you think, did it go after Mel instead of me?" he asked evenly.

"I don't know," Cole replied.

"If it hadn't been interrupted…what would it have done to her?"

"I don't know that you really want to hear what Fleshcrawlers do…" Cole spoke, uncertainly.

"You're right," Harry nodded. "But I don't want to be unprepared if this thing ever shows up again."

Cole shook his head and sighed, but began to explain in a low voice.

"I warn you, this isn't pleasant," Cole said seriously. "You remember the green substance that was trickling from the Fleshcrawler's ears and mouth?"

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"That used to be its flesh," Cole explained, "its skin. It is constantly rotting away, becoming a dark green gelatinous ooze, and slowly releasing itself from the creature's body. The Fleshcrawler would die very quickly, if it didn't replenish itself on a regular basis."

"It was…going to take Mel's skin?" Harry asked, feeling suddenly sick.

"Yes, that is exactly what it would have done," Cole replied evenly. "It would have consumed her flesh and used it to regenerate its own, if it hadn't been stopped…"

"Who do you think it was?" Harry asked. "Who called the creature off?"

"Judging by the way you described the voice that called out, and the fact that the creature was a Fleshcrawler. It was most likely the entity known as Draam."

Harry felt his head begin to ache upon hearing this.

"So…there are two entities in the school then." Sirius spoke quietly.

"That we know of at least," Remus added darkly.

"The voice…" Harry began, "it sounded like it was more than one person speaking, but all at the same time. Only, it was all the same voice. I know I recognized it, I just can't place it."

He sat back once more, leaning against the headboard, and trying to keep his thoughts straight.

"So what do I do now?" he asked, staring up at Cole. "Should we speed up the sessions with each crystal?"

"Absolutely not," Cole said firmly. "If we do that, it could cause disastrous repercussions. No it's best we keep things as they are."

"But these things can get into the school without anyone knowing!"

"True, but from what you've told us, the one that was here tonight was here for a specific reason and that's it. It doesn't sound as if Draam is going to let them loose in the school."

"Well not yet anyway," Harry quipped. "Those were his exact words when it was going to attack Mel…not yet. They're gonna be back."

"Then we just have to hope that it isn't before we've completed your training," Cole said curtly. "There's at least a month's time before you're ready to take the test."

Harry shook his head faintly, wishing he could come up with some way to convince Cole they really did need to speed things up. He didn't know what he'd do if one of the Fleshcrawlers were to hurt one of his friends.

"How do we defend ourselves against these things?" Remus asked suddenly. "In the event one of us happens to see one…"

"Oh, trust me you won't," Cole replied gravely. "You'll never catch sight of them until they allow it, and that only happens when they have you trapped. If they don't kill you straight off, they tie you up and take your skin."

"How?" Harry asked, looking up at Cole's words.

"What do you…?"

"Where did the ropes…or whatever they were, come from?" Harry asked. "We were both hit hard with something…and then the next thing we knew…"

Fleshcrawlers shoot the sinew tethers from their mouths and their hands," Cole explained. "The tip of each is solid, and the Fleshcrawler can control whether it is sharp or blunt. Basically, it uses the tethers to kill when it isn't going to consume your flesh, or blunt when it is, to immobilize you. Their aim is extremely precise, and they can see no matter how bright or dim the area around them happens to be."

"I still want to know why it went after Mel first," Harry said quietly. "She was hurt so much worse than I was…"

"As I said before," Cole began, "I don't know why the Fleshcrawler chose to go for Mel first. In all probability, it was a coincidence. The creature hit and immobilized both of you; the fact that it started with her doesn't mean anything. You would most certainly have been next had it not been called off."

Harry nodded faintly but didn't reply. The entire evening had tired him out, and all he wanted at this point was to lay back and get some sleep. Dumbledore, who had been uncharacteristically silent throughout most of the discussion, seemed to notice this and spoke up.

"I think it is time we let Harry get some rest. He has had a most trying day."

Harry smiled gratefully as he laid back against the headboard once more.

"In the meantime, I would like to speak with you three," the headmaster continued, looking at the other men. "There is much we need to discuss."

Cole nodded once, standing up from his chair and heading for the door. Remus gave Harry a gentle pat on the shoulder and Sirius gave him a fatherly hug, before they both said good night and stood to leave. Dumbledore told Harry to get sleep, and not to worry, they would figure this out soon enough.

When Harry was alone in the hospital room at last, hearing only the sound of Mel's deep breathing from the bed a few feet away, he sighed lightly. Pushing himself further under the covers, he stared blankly up at the ceiling, going over the events of the evening once more in his head.

Something had been off with Cole, Harry didn't know what it was, but he felt it just the same. He hadn't acted any different…but still…

It's almost as if he's hiding something.

But why? Harry thought back. What good would come of keeping things from me now?

We don't know why. All we know, is that what was told to us tonight doesn't make sense. For one thing, Cole said the Fleshcrawlers have precise aim and can see now matter how dark or light it is. If that's so, then it meant to hurt Mel worse than it did you. He should have known that. Instead he told us that what happened to Mel was just a coincidence. A case of bad luck. That doesn't seem like it fits.

Well maybe the Fleshcrawlers really don't care where they hit a person, so long as they hit them…

Maybe. The crystal paused, before continuing. Then we have the fact that it truly seems the best course of action would be to speed up our training. Cole refused us, however. We'll need to be able to defend ourselves should a Fleshcrawler show up again, and we can only do that when we're fully trained.

Yes but a human witch or wizard will be able to defend themselves because Cole said…

But he never said how.

What?

Cole never answered Remus' question. He conveniently skipped over telling us how to defend against the Fleshcrawlers.

There must be a reason why he did that…

Yes. I believe there is.

Harry turned over on his side as what the meticulous crystal had just said kept repeating in his head. He didn't like how things were looking right now, and could only hope there would be some explanation. The crystal seemed to sense he no longer wanted to talk, and did not speak again.

After what felt like a very long time, Harry finally was able to drift off into a restless sleep.

When Harry woke some time later, his head was throbbing dully, and he felt as if he'd slept only a short while. He started to turn onto his other side, hoping to make himself more comfortable, when he felt his legs bump into something through the covers. Lifting his head partially, he could barely make out the shape of someone sitting on the end of his bed, but couldn't make out who it was.

"Good morning Harry," Mel's voice drifted towards him as he began to sit up.

"Mel!" Harry said, suddenly awake, reaching for his glasses and slipping them on. She was perched on the left corner of his bed, her legs crossed in front of her, leaning her elbows on her knees. "How are you feeling? Are you alright? Madam Pomfrey told me that…"

"I'm fine," she cut him off gently, a faint grin on her face. Madam Pomfrey gave me some medicine, and this orange cream for the bruise."

"It doesn't hurt to breathe then?" Harry asked, wanting to be certain.

"No, not in the least," Mel replied. "Whatever the medicine was, it did the trick. I'm fine."

"Good," Harry said, breathing a silent sigh of relief.

"And you?" Mel asked, expectantly. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes…I wasn't hurt the same way you were. The bruise is gone now," he answered.

"Good," Mel replied with a nod. She straightened her back, seeming to be thinking hard on something for a moment, before she spoke again. "Madam Pomfrey couldn't give me a sleeping potion last night…she said it might interfere with the effects of the medicine."

"Oh," Harry replied. "Well then I'm glad she didn't. Healing you was definitely more important."

"Yes, well, even without the potion I was still very tired after what had happened," Mel said slowly.

"So was I," Harry replied, getting the distinct feeling she had more to tell him, but she was obviously hesitant to say it. He pushed the covers away from him and shifted his position to be closer to where she sat, an uncertain expression on her face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, reaching out his hands and gently taking one of hers. "You can tell me if there's…"

She didn't take the sleeping potion, the crystal's voice cut in.

Yes I heard her, what does that have to do with…

She said she was tired, but she never said she fell straight to sleep.

Harry closed his eyes briefly upon hearing what the crystal said. Mel must've heard the discussion he'd had the night before, that had to be what she wanted to ask him about.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind then Mel spoke up softly.

"Harry…could you tell me…what a Psion is, and why Cole was calling you one last night?"

Harry stared at Mel blankly, taken aback by her question and completely unsure how to answer. He didn't think Cole would be very pleased with him if he told Mel about his powers. He also wasn't sure if it was a good idea for her to know.

Cole wants this to be kept secret, the crystal spoke up curtly.

Thank you…you're ever so helpful, Iknowwhat Cole wants, Harry thought back sardonically.

"Is something wrong?" Mel asked, seeing the hesitant expression on his face.

"No," Harry said immediately. "I mean…you see it's just that…I don't know if it's a good idea to tell you about…anything…" he trailed off, thinking how stupid that answer must've sounded.

"Why wouldn't it be a good idea?" Mel asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

Harry took a deep breath, trying to think. If he refused to answer her questions, she might be insulted or angry…but if he told her everything…

"I just don't want you to get hurt," he spoke up softly. "If you know too much it might be dangerous for you."

"I'd never even heard the term Psion last night and look what happened," Mel quipped. "How much worse could it be?"

Harry paused a moment, considering. She did have a point, but still…

"No, you don't understand," he said, shaking his head. "Last night, what happened…Cole said it was just a coincidence that the Fleshcrawler picked you first…"

"Yes, I heard him," Mel interrupted. "But you didn't believe him, did you? I heard it in your voice."

"Yeah, I didn't…I don't, believe him. Not about that, anyway."

Harry sat back, torn between not wanting to keep anything from Mel, and what could happen if he were to tell her about his powers. The crystal was being silent, obviously having made its suggestion and leaving the rest up to him.

"Look if you don't want to tell me, it's alright," Mel spoke up after a brief silence. "I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to…"

"It's not that I don't want to tell you," Harry cut her off gently, looking up and meeting her eyes. "But I don't want anything to happen to you…" he trailed off. In all honesty, he wasn't sure why exactly Cole wanted this to be kept secret. It wasn't as if anyone that did know had been in any danger because of their knowledge. Dobby had been killed for something having to do with the Fleshcrawlers…and Cho.

"She died because neither of us knew the truth," Harry murmured under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Mel asked politely, looking curiously at him.

"Sorry," Harry replied. "I was…thinking out loud…"

But he'd made his decision. There would certainly have been a better chance that Cho would have lived had either of them known the truth about Harry's powers. He wasn't going to take the chance that the same thing might happen with Mel.

"Alright," he began. "Just listen to all I have to say…before you ask any questions."

"Okay," Mel said quietly, meeting his gaze intently. "I'm listening."

Harry took a deep breath, not having the slightest clue where to begin. His eyes fell on the shimmering green mist that the crystal was forming around him, and called on it without hesitation.

The haze began to swirl in front of him, pulling back into itself, and the tinkling of glass could be heard in the air, as the crystal quickly reformed in his hand.

When the perfectly sculpted stone lie still in his palm, he glanced back up to see Mel staring at it, eyes wide.

"What…what just happened?" she asked cautiously, not taking her eyes off the crystal. "What is that?"

"That," Harry began, "is what I'm about to explain."

Some time later, when Harry had finished his story, he sat back against the bed and waited. Mel seemed to still be processing the new information, and he couldn't tell by the expression on her face what her reaction would be.

Shifting the meticulous crystal to his left hand, he took his right hand and let it hover over the stone, when the light green glow returned, he called upon it once more, and the crystal shattered, forming the familiar mist around him.

Mel watched his action with interest, before finally looking up to meet his gaze.

"Are you mad?" she asked, seriously.

"What?" Harry replied, uncertainly. "Why would I be mad?"

"Well," she began, "if I'd been born with the power you have and nobody ever told me about it, I'd be a bit upset to say the least. Not to mention it sounds like they're cutting it pretty close, Cole and Gazten. Shouldn't they have started you on all this when she arrived, rather than waiting for him?"

"I was upset, more than upset, when I was first told," Harry admitted. "But all I want now is to just get this training done with so I can use the crystals."

"Yeah," Mel nodded. "I would want that too…especially after last night…" she trailed off, shivering involuntarily at the memory of the creature that had tried to kill her. Harry could see what she was thinking by the look in her eyes, and slid across the bed, until he was just beside her.

"That won't happen again," he said firmly, reaching over gently and, drawing her towards him. She too slid along the covers, until she was in front of him, lying back against his chest with his arms around her from behind.

"You don't know that," she replied, a hint of fear in her tone. "That voice last night said not yet…"

"I know, I know," he replied in a soothing voice. "Don't think about that now…I'm sure Dumbledore will already have found out how we defend ourselves against them."

"I hope so…"

Harry didn't reply to this. He was just as worried as she, if not more so. If Cole was right, and they'd truly never be able to hear a Fleshcrawler coming, knowing a defensive hex or curse would do little good. Even when it had growled at them the night before, they couldn't tell where it was coming from; they'd have no idea which way to aim.

But what worried Harry more than any of that, was his inability to shake the feeling that the Fleshcrawler had hurt Mel and gone after her first for a reason. She would be walking down that same hallway every night for the remainder of the school year, and all Harry could do was hope she would be alright.

A short while later, Madam Pomfrey had stopped in to their room to check on them, and after a quick examination, announced they could leave the hospital wing.

They changed back into their clothes from the night before, and went downstairs, going through the large double doors and into the hall.

Mel was glancing warily at the corridor that would take them to the dungeon area, before looking back up at Harry.

"I'm starving," she said suddenly. "Want to get some breakfast with me?"

"Absolutely," Harry grinned, but realized she was only trying to put off going back into that hallway. He reached out and took one of her hands in his, as the two of them set off for the great hall.

Neither one spoke much for a few moments, and as they neared their destination they started passing small groups of students who were either chatting or walking by, but all of them would glance quizzically in Harry and Mel's direction, before quickly averting their eyes.

At one point, a tall boy who Harry barely recognized as a Hufflepuff came right up in front of them and stopped.

"Sorry," he said with a smug grin, looking only at Harry, "just a quick question…isn't she in Slytherin?" he asked, nodding faintly at Mel.

Harry glared back at the boy's cocky expression evenly.

"As a matter of fact, yes," he replied stiffly.

"Well, then why are you holding hands? I mean, you of all people…and she's probably only…"

"Excuse me," Harry cut him off loudly, forcing his anger down. "You're in our way." Without waiting for the boy to respond in any way, Harry held tightly to Mel's small hand, and led her around the Hufflepuff. As they moved along, they heard loud laughter break out behind them, but Harry didn't turn. He kept his eyes in front of him, trying to block out the sound.

"Maybe we shouldn't…" Mel began, "you know…let anyone see us…"

"No," Harry replied quickly, his tone slightly sharper than he'd intended. He shook his head, sighing inaudibly, and brought them both to a stop in the middle of the hall.

"I'm not going to let what a few idiots say make me not want to be seen with you. It's not as if we've never been seen together before, and we did go to the dance together after all…"

"Yes but friends do go to dances together," Mel replied, "and walk side by side too…but when two people are walking, holding hands…even though it's small, people see that as meaning more."

"Well, then they're right, aren't then?" Harry asked. "Unless…unless you don't…" he trailed off. He hadn't thought about Mel possibly feeling differently towards him after last night. She hadn't seemed that way in the hospital wing, but just the same…"

"No, that's not what I was saying," Mel spoke hastily, seeing the doubt in his eyes. "Not at all. I just don't want to make things hard for you. Especially after what you told me this morning, you don't need another stress in your life, no matter how small it may seem in comparison."

Harry smiled at her concerned expression, before pulling her close to him.

"Mel," he spoke gently, "I don't care if every person in this school reacts the way that one back there did. All I care about is that I know what I feel for you…and I hope you feel the same."

Harry looked into her eyes as he spoke, and saw Mel nod back at him faintly.

"I do," she replied quietly, lifting her face towards his. He leant down, kissing her softly, feeling her body pressed against his. He felt her hands move up his arms as he moved his own around her back, when suddenly they both pulled apart, as another group of chattering students had just turned into the hall.

They looked from the kids, back to each other, both smiling warmly, before she slipped her hand into his once more, and they continued their walk to the great hall.

When they walked through the double doors, Harry led Mel towards the very end of the Gryffindor table, closest to the exit. He didn't want to be in the middle of everyone at that moment. Mel made no argument, and they took seats across from one another as their plates filled up in front of them.

"What happened last night?" Ron's voice spoke up as he, Hermione and Ginny neared the end of the table. They'd seen Harry and Mel enter, and immediately came over to join them.

"Why didn't you come back last night?" Hermione asked. "We were worried.

"Yeah we were about to go out and look for you," Ginny added, "when Sirius stopped in to tell us you were safe, but you wouldn't be returning until today. He wouldn't tell us anything else."

Harry and Mel exchanged reluctant glances, neither one in the mood to get into the events of the previous night again.

"Do you think we could talk about it later?" Harry asked, looking back at his friends, hopefully.

"Okay," Ron replied slowly, looking back and forth from Harry to Mel.

"Are you alright at least?" Hermione asked. "You weren't hurt or anything…?"

"Luckily, no," Harry replied. "Neither of us was hurt."

"You guys can sit down if you want," Mel spoke up, noticing the three of them were still standing at Harry's side.

Harry nodded his agreement and Ron walked around to Mel's side, taking the seat next to her, while Ginny and Hermione sat beside Harry. An awkward silence followed for only a few moments, when Hermione cleared her throat softly.

"So, any word on Dobby? I figured you might check with the house-elves in the kitchen…" she trailed off, seeing the pained expression on Harry's face. "What?" she asked apprehensively, "What is it?"

Harry dropped the fork he'd been holding on his plate and folded his hands tightly in front of him, resting his forehead against his knuckles.

"Did you find him?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Yes, actually," Harry replied looking across to his friend. He noticed Mel had stopped eating as well. She was sitting back in her seat, her eyes focused on the table. "Mel and I found him last night…"

"That's great!" Ginny exclaimed. "We can ask him about the crawls then!"

"No…no we can't," Harry said, stifling a bitter laugh before continuing quietly. "We found him…dead."

The shocked silence that followed was heavy, and Harry didn't look up at any of his friends. He hadn't wanted to talk about any of this now, but it looked like that wasn't going to be the way it was. Giving Mel a sincerely apologetic look, he waited for her to nod back, coming to the same conclusion as him, before turning back to his friends and beginning to explain what had happened.

When Harry finished re-telling the previous nights events for the second time, the reaction was just what he'd expected it would be. His friends stared at him in stunned silence, not sure what to make of what they'd been told.

"I'm going up to see Dumbledore today," Harry said quietly, rather than wait for one of them to speak. "Hopefully he can tell us how to defend ourselves against the Fleshcrawlers."

"Why didn't Cole tell us about these things?" Hermione asked, sounding suddenly angry. "Or Gazten even…they're both from Faerun! Dobby may not always get names right…but still, crawls and Fleshcrawlers…how could the possible connection not have crossed either of their minds?"

"I was thinking the same thing last night," Harry nodded stiffly. "A few things that Cole told me didn't make much sense to say the least."

"Such as?" Ron asked.

Harry quickly went over the same points the crystal had brought to his attention the previous night. Cole's answers from their discussion were giving him a strong feeling that the older man was keeping something from him, but Harry didn't know what or why. He just hoped whatever it was he'd come out with it soon.

"I'm gonna go see Dumbledore now," Harry said when he'd finished. "I want to know if he found out anything more about the Fleshcrawlers."

"I'll come too," Mel said quickly, standing up with him. "If there's any way to stop one of those things I want to know about it."

"Yes, let's all go," Hermione added.

"Right," Harry nodded, thinking it would be best that way, rather than him having to re-tell whatever Dumbledore might have found.

The five students walked away from the Gryffindor table and exited into the hall, starting for the headmaster's office.

Harry pushed open the door to the office as his friends stood in a line behind him on the stairs, when he heard Dumbledore's voice grant them entrance.

"Sorry to disturb you professor," Harry said as the five of them entered.

"No it's quite alright," the headmaster replied gently from his desk. "Please have a seat, I can certainly spare a few moments. I assume you're here to ask about last night?" he asked with a knowing grin.

"I don't want to take up much of your time," Harry spoke hastily, "but anything you could tell us about the Fleshcrawlers would be helpful…"

"Cole did tell us most everything he knew about the creatures last night," Dumbledore said seriously.

"Except how to defend against them," Mel spoke up suddenly but looking away as the headmaster turned his gaze on her. "Sorry," she murmured. "Didn't mean to interrupt." Harry grinned at her as she spoke, thinking if she ended up coming with them more often she'd realize he and his friends did that all the time.

"Correct," Dumbledore smiled. "Though when we spoke later in the evening, he did tell us that Fleshcrawlers would be affected by any of the spells we normally use. The problem only arises when it comes to hitting them."

"Because you can't tell where they are until they have you," Harry spoke in a frustrated tone.

"So, then there's nothing we can do…nothing to fight them?" Ron asked. "There's got to be something…"

"For the time being," Dumbledore began, "the best thing that all of you can do is to make sure you do not go off on your own. Stay only in the areas of the school you know and try to stay near each other."

Harry looked at the headmaster as he spoke, realizing for the first time how tired the older man seemed. The twinkle in his eye wasn't there even when he smiled and Harry felt a twinge of worry at seeing Dumbledore like this. He wanted to ask him more, but felt it would be best to just let things go for the moment. When they'd come in it was obvious the headmaster had been in the middle of something, and Harry wanted to let him get back to it.

They thanked Dumbledore and exited the office, back down into the hallway.

"Did he seem…worried, do you think?" Hermione asked as they began walking.

"Very much so," Ginny replied nervously. "I didn't like it…"

"With everything that's going on can you blame him?" Harry asked. "I'm worried too…"

"We all are," a voice spoke up from behind them. The five students turned to see Sirius walking towards them from down the corridor.

"Sirius," Harry smiled as his godfather came up to the small group.

"Do you know more about what happened last night?" Ron asked hastily.

"Yeah what happened during your meeting?" Mel asked anxiously.

"What did Cole say? Was he acting strange?" Hermione asked.

"Hang on, hang on," Sirius laughed. "One at a time."

"Sorry," Hermione grinned.

"We just want to know what happened last night," Harry explained. "Professor Dumbledore seemed so worried just now…"

"And for good reason," Sirius replied solemnly. "C'mon, let's take a walk."

"Professor Dumbledore is worried, as we all are, about the Fleshcrawlers," Sirius began as the small group set off down the hall. "When we first realized intruders were easily able to gain access into the school we began patrolling regularly, every member of the staff helping out. After several months of that, Cole arrived, and with him came the Inquisitors. For the most part that seemed to solve our problems. Even though they didn't alert us when Lucius had gotten in, there have been no similar incidents since that time. Now, however, our problem is much bigger. The Inquisitors' powers are ineffective against the Fleshcrawlers; they can't even sense their presence. The fact that these creatures are highly dangerous combined with the fact that it seems we will never know they're near until it's too late, is far too hazardous to all of the students in this school. Dumbledore will have to contact all the parents that have their kids here. It's up to them if they want their child exposed to a potentially dangerous situation. And if there's another incident like last night's, more drastic measures may need to be taken."

Harry listened intently as his godfather spoke, and had to force himself to ask his next question, one to which he was certain he already knew the answer, but didn't want to hear it.

"What measures, exactly?" he spoke somberly.

"The school could be closed, Harry," Sirius replied. "Without any sure way of fighting back against the Fleshcrawlers, we can't guarantee everyone's safety."

"Well we have to find a way then," Harry spoke up stubbornly. "We can't let them win…they can't have Hogwart's."

"Not a chance," Ron added, adopting Harry's set jaw. "They can't take this place, it's ours!"

Sirius smiled proudly at the two of them, before replying.

"I couldn't agree with you more," he began, "but the truth of the matter is, I won't let any of you…or anyone in this school for that matter, lose their life to one of these creatures. If that means leaving, we go, and come back prepared to fight."

Harry didn't want to agree with his godfather, and wouldn't reply. He could never leave Hogwart's to those vile creatures, and in his mind he'd already decided…he never would.

"What about Cole?" Mel spoke up, shifting away from the dismal topic. "How long did you speak with him last night? How did he seem to you?"

"Yes…Cole," Sirius mused quietly. "He didn't seem very anxious to participate in our discussion last night, but he did answer all of our questions."

"Did he say why he never brought up the Fleshcrawlers before?" Harry asked.

"I asked him about that," Sirius nodded. "His excuse was that with all of the creatures of Faerun he had no way of knowing for certain that the Fleshcrawlers were the 'crawls' Dobby had been scared of."

"So there are lots of creatures there with the word crawl as part of their name?" Mel asked, curiously.

"Apparently so," Sirius replied wryly, rolling his eyes. "Though Cole didn't bother to name any of them…"

"I really don't like this," Ginny spoke up, warily. "Why is Cole acting so strangely? I'd think he would want to help us fight these things, instead of trying to keep information from us…"

"One would think, yes," Sirius replied. "All we can do, unfortunately, is watch him. "Even Dumbledore is becoming wary of his behavior. We just have to find out what the reason for it is."

"Dumbledore doesn't trust him?" Harry asked incredulously.

"It's not so much that he doesn't trust him," Sirius replied. "Only that after the way Cole acted last night, he's aware that something is…off…"

Sirius stopped in the middle of the hall they were now in, turning to face his godson, a grave expression on his face.

"I, however, don't trust him. I never have. Now I know you still have much time to spend with him during your training, just make sure you're very careful. If you notice anything strange about his behavior I want to know about it first thing, alright?"

"I promise," Harry replied nodding. "If I notice anything I'll tell you."

"Good," Sirius said with a faint grin.

They walked on a short while longer, coming into view of the portrait of the fat lady. Sirius told them it was time he got going, still having much to do that day. He waved as they called out good-bye to him, and they watched until he turned the corner, before Mel looked to Harry.

"I should probably head back to my dorm," she said reluctantly, "I haven't started any of the homework for this weekend yet."

"Yeah neither have I," Harry laughed. "Though we do have a pretty good excuse I'd say."

"Well just the same I'm sure Professor McGonagall would be quite displeased if our papers weren't done. So I guess I'll see you…later," she finished with a grin.

"Let me walk you back down," Harry replied with a small grin. He took her hand once more, telling his friends he'd be back in a little bit, before the two of them started down towards the Slytherin dorm.

Harry and Mel walked side by side, making their way slowly downstairs. At first neither of them spoke, so much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that they were both still thinking deeply on the new information. As they passed by the entrance to the library, Mel looked up at Harry.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," Harry replied with a nod, looking down at her.

"It's about Cole…why do you think he's acting so strangely? You must spend so much time with him during your training…"

"Actually, I barely see him at all," Harry replied. "He checks in with me once or twice a week to make sure I'm not having any problems, and to tell me which crystal I'll be using next, but other than that I don't see him."

"Really?" Mel replied, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Really," Harry confirmed. "And to tell you the truth…this isn't the first time he's acted…somewhat suspiciously."

"What do you mean?" Mel asked. "What else has he done?"

"A few months ago," Harry began, "I was in Madam Pomfrey's office to speak with the Changs…" Harry trailed off, remembering that day, and how they'd seemed to blame him for what had happened to their daughter.

"You don't have to tell me," Mel said hastily, seeing the look in Harry's eyes. "If you can't talk about it then…"

"No, I want to tell you," Harry replied, trying to smile. He cleared his throat and waited a moment, before continuing on, quickly. "The three of us were in the office, with the door closed and the blinds drawn. We'd only been there a short while when I noticed black smoke slipping in through the crack under the door. Mr. Chang and I both tried to stop it, but it wasn't affected by any of our spells. I ended up stuck in one of the corners, surrounded by the smoke, while it went after the Changs. I found out right away that touching it was a bad idea, so I lit my wand just to be able to see in the blackness…and I noticed the smoke was keeping it's distance from the wand. I don't think it was because of the light, because the light was on in the office and that didn't seem to bother it, but I don't know what else could have done it. When I asked Cole about it later…he just brushed the question off, wouldn't give me a clear answer."

"So your wand is somehow able to defend against the smoke…but Cole wouldn't tell you exactly how?" Mel asked, incredulously. "Why would he want to keep that from you?"

"I don't know," Harry replied, shaking his head. "Maybe he didn't know the answer…but didn't want me to know that…so he made something up…" he suggested feebly.

"Did you tell Dumbledore or Sirius about that?" Mel asked.

"No," Harry answered, "I didn't see any need to…I mean Cole's only here to help me learn how to use the crystals, right? He's been helping me this entire time…and if he were really against me then I don't see how walking me through all this training is going to help him in the end."

"Is he really helping you though?" Mel asked suddenly. "What are you really learning here? From what you've told me, all each crystal does is make suggestions here and there. Sometimes they bring a certain point to your attention…now I know there's more to it than that. There has to be, but Cole isn't showing you any of it, is he? This big training he and Gazten are going to give you is going to be hard if you're not prepared…"

Harry looked down at her for a long moment, before nodding slowly.

"I know," he replied quietly. "I've thought about that…a lot actually. Each time I tell myself Cole is the one who's been doing this for his entire life, and I've only just started learning about it. I can't do it on my own, Mel. I don't know how. The one time I called on all the crystals together…well, let's just say it could have ended very badly if Cole hadn't helped me through it."

Mel opened her mouth as if she wanted to comment on Harry's statement, but shut it quickly and looked away, nodding faintly.

"I just hope that's what he's really here for," she said softly.

Harry felt her give his hand a gentle squeeze and he pulled her closer to him as the moved, wrapping his arm around her back. They were at the end of their walk now as the Slytherin portrait hole was in view. Less than a minute later, they came to a slow stop in front of it.

"Thank you for coming down here with me," Mel said as she turned to look up at Harry. "I was still a bit worried about coming by myself," she admitted, her cheeks blushing slightly.

"I wish I could come with you every time," Harry told her softly. "I don't like the idea of you walking down her by yourself anymore."

"Well I don't want you to worry about me," Mel said with a slight smile. "I'll get over this soon enough, it'll be fine, you'll see."

Harry nodded, not wanting to argue her statement at all, but unable to help feeling nervous about her situation. He still couldn't shake the feeling that the Fleshcrawler had gone after her first for a reason, but pushed the thoughts out of his head for the time being.

"You better get going," Mel said, nodding back the way they'd come. "I'm sure your friends will worry if you're gone too long…"

"Oh trying to get rid of me now?" Harry joked, arching one eyebrow wryly as he firmed his grip on her waist and pulled her closer.

"Never," Mel smiled as he leant down towards her gently, kissing her softly. He pulled away from her slowly and she gave the password to the portrait behind her, before saying good-bye and stepping inside.

Harry looked after her, feeling almost full again, despite all the problems that were presenting themselves to him daily. He waited until the portrait was entirely shut, before beginning his walk back upstairs.

The week went on, without further incident. Cole had stopped checking in on Harry, and instead sent Allison to make sure he was doing alright with the crystals. According to her, Cole was now devoting a great deal more of his time into preparing the test, and she would most likely be the one to check in on him from now on.

Ron and Hermione thought it a little too coincidental that all of a sudden Cole, who had been very adamant about being present and working with Harry personally during his training was now too busy for even his short ten-minute visits. Harry didn't have an explanation besides the one he'd been given, and while part of him agreed with his friends, what Allison had told him did make sense. They'd been telling him from the start this test would be hard. Now that the time to take it was nearing, they'd need to spend more time on setting it up.

When Saturday arrived at last, Harry was pleasantly surprised to find the quidditch practice that had been scheduled for them had not been cancelled. He had his team out on the pitch and practicing diligently for the four hours they had allotted to them, before it was Ravenclaw's turn. In just three weeks Gryffindor had it's second match of the season against Hufflepuff, and Harry wanted to be sure they'd be completely prepared.

As the team made their way back up the hill and into the school, Harry, Ron and Ginny spotted Allison, standing off to the side expectantly, as if waiting for them to arrive. She moved towards them as soon as they'd entered.

"Don't want to keep you long," she grinned as Harry and his friends slowed to a stop. "Just wanted to let you know you're starting with the Liar crystal tomorrow morning."

"Great," Harry nodded with a small grin. Allison returned the smile and with a wave to the three of them, headed off in down the hall, back towards the dungeon area.

"Well that was certainly quick," Ron commented as he watched her go. "Not even a hello…"

"And she didn't ask about how you were doing with this crystal," Ginny added.

"Yes, well that's because she's checked with me on it every other day this week" Harry replied as they began walking again, "and I know enough by now not to wait for either her or Cole to ask me if something's wrong. I'd just go straight downstairs and tell them."

"I'm just glad you're back to working with her…instead of Cole," Ron commented.

"Oh me too," Ginny added, nodding. "Cole had such a temper…"

"Not always," Harry replied. "The first time you really saw him helping me with the crystals was quite different than any of the other times, trust me. Though to tell you the truth, I'm glad too. Allison is much easier to be around and talk to."

"Cole makes you nervous?" Ron asked, a small teasing grin on his face.

"Shut up Ron," Harry laughed, "you'd know what I meant if you'd been around him as much as I have."

"Hey, nothing to be ashamed of," Ron continued, his smile widening. "We all have our fears, you know…"

"And if you don't stop right now I'm going to leave you a nice eight-legged surprise on your pillow tonight,' Harry shot back smugly.

"You wouldn't," Ron said, looking suddenly horrified.

"You think so?" Harry asked, tauntingly. He glanced towards Ginny who had her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. But when he looked again at his best friend's terrified face, he couldn't keep it going. Shaking his head and chuckling to himself, he began talking quickly.

"Okay you know I would never do that, so just calm down, will you?" he asked, smiling widely at Ron.

"Well…just for the record," Ron began, lowering his voice and leaning forward. "Cole makes me nervous too. I wouldn't blame you at all if that really was the reason you like working with Gazten better."

They were nearing the portrait hole now, and went through one at a time, making their way towards the corner, where Hermione was waiting for them.

The next morning when Harry awoke after a very restful slumber, he hopped out of bed and headed to his trunk. Finding the stone that turned black, he called on the liar crystal, before locking the chest and changing quickly.

Making his way down towards the great hall, Harry's eyes were focused on the black haze surrounding him, reminding him very much of a swarm of tiny bugs. He hadn't liked the liar crystal on the day they'd been introduced, and was thankful that, for the moment, at least, it was remaining quiet.

When Harry entered the large room, he went over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat midway down it. He had heard Ron snoring away when he'd left the dorm earlier, and hadn't seen Hermione or Ginny in the common room, so presumably they too were still asleep. Eating slowly, he glanced around at the few people in the room with him. It wasn't exactly early, but for a Sunday, it was normal not to find many people downstairs in time for breakfast.

As he polished off the last strip of bacon, Harry stood and decided to just head back upstairs for the time being. Hopefully by now one of his friends would be awake at least. Crossing the room once more, he exited through the double doors and out into the hallway, just in time to see Cole striding past, down towards the dungeon area. Harry saw him glance towards him briefly, before averting his eyes without so much as a nod, and continuing past him down the corridor. Staring after him for a moment, Harry's mind again began the now incredibly familiar debate, on what the cause for Cole's strange behavior was. He fought the urge to follow him down to the dungeon area, turning his back on the hallway and heading up towards his tower.

When he stepped through into the common room a short while later, Harry made his way over to the corner of the room where he usually sat with his friends. Either they were still asleep or he'd somehow missed them in the halls on his way back to the tower, but they were nowhere that he could see. Lowering himself into the farthest chair, he again began to think Cole's behavior, when a thought suddenly sprang into mind. He remembered the day just before he first began his sessions with the crystals, and going to Remus' office only to find him in an intense argument with Cole. Harry still didn't know what had been said, but he knew Remus seemed furious about something Cole had seemingly requested of him.

Deciding to try and ask again what the fight had been about, Harry once again set off into the halls, heading for Remus' office, only to find it empty when he arrived. Heading back towards his tower once more, not willing to give up, he stepped through the portrait hole and went straight up to his dorm. Opening his regular chest, Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map and activated it quickly, scanning for Remus' name. When at last he was able to spot it, he saw it was in a part of the school that he'd never visited, at least that he could remember. It was quite far up in one of the thin towers that no classes were held in and Harry had always assumed no one ever bothered to go up into them any more.

There was another name on the map, however, just beside Remus'.

That name was Lucius Malfoy.

Harry stared at the map for a moment, not sure what to do.

"That must be where they're keeping Lucius," he said under his breath. He didn't know if Remus would be please with him for showing up while he was keeping watch over Lucius, as Harry assumed must be the case. But he also didn't see the harm in it. Lucius would surely be locked up in some way, and Harry wouldn't stay for long. Making his decision and standing quickly, Harry pushed the lid to his trunk shut, and crossed the room, exiting the dorm with the map in his hand.

Not bothering to take more than a quick glance around the common room, Harry stepped through the portrait hole for the third time that morning, and began his trek up to the tower. He passed several classrooms, the professor's lounge, the headmaster's office, further and further into an area he'd never been to before. When he reached a door at the end of a long hall, with no other direction to choose, he opened it slowly and stepped through.

"Lumos," he whispered as he pulled out his wand. Their were no lights in this corridor at all, and after a quick glance around Harry found himself at the base of a very long, winding, rickety staircase. Checking the map to make sure he was still on the correct path, Harry began climbing the stairs. He noticed no doors or windows as he ascended, and an incredibly thick layer of grime on just about everything, except the middle of each step, where it was slightly less dusty because of all the people Dumbledore had watching over Lucius going up and down each day.

After what felt like well over an hour, Harry at last reached the top step, his legs aching with every movement. He half-shuffled his way to the very out of place large steel door a few feet in front of him. Glancing down at the map yet again, he saw both of the men should be directly on the opposite side of this door, and slowly reached out for the clunky latch. He pressed down on it, using all of his strength as it was resistant to move, and with a loud squealing noise, the lock finally sprang, and the door swung open freely.

Harry cautiously stepped through into the rather brightly lit room beyond. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it hadn't been this. Their were candles lit everywhere, casting a warm glow across the walls. Lucius was on one side of the room, lying on a very plush looking couch, his back side facing out, and his breathing slow and steady, as if he were sleeping. However, what was worrying Harry was that there seemed to be no barrier of any kind that would keep Lucius from walking to the door and leaving should the mood strike him. There were no bars, nothing to unlock. Lucius was just sleeping in a room at the top of a very tall tower.

"Harry, what do you think you're doing?" Remus' voice cut through his thoughts, exasperatedly. Harry turned towards the voice, to find Lupin leaning over a large book and several stacks of paper at a heavy wooden desk. He had looked up from his work, however, and was staring expectantly at the younger man.

"Sorry," Harry replied quietly. "I know I probably shouldn't have come…"

"That's right, you shouldn't have," Remus replied curtly. "This is not the place for any student especially you."

"I know, I know," Harry said hastily. "I should have waited…but I didn't. There's just something I need to ask you about…something important."

Remus' expression became one of intrigue and concern, and he leant forward in his seat.

"Is everything alright? What happened?"

"No, nothing's wrong…" Harry said quickly. "Everyone's fine. I want to ask a question about something that happened a few months ago…"

"Which was?" Remus prompted.

"What happened that day in your office that made you so mad at Cole? What did say to you?"

Remus stared back at Harry for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment, he lowered his gaze and shook his head faintly.

"Harry this isn't the time to talk about that. Cole and I had an argument, and it's over now."

"Remus, I know you don't want to tell me what happened that day," Harry began quickly, "but Cole is just acting so strange lately and I want to know why. Now I don't know if what he said to you that made you so mad will help at all but I'd really like to hear it just the same."

Another brief silence followed, and by the dark expression that came across Remus' face Harry was sure he was just going to send him away. But when Remus looked up again, he nodded once, faintly, and began speaking.

"Cole wanted me to help with your training…your final test."

"He wanted you to help…how?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Cole asked me if I would be willing, during the first full moon of your training with all the stones, to not take the wolfsbane potion and allow myself to transform…"

"What?" Harry asked loudly. "How would you becoming a werewolf help…?"

"He wanted me to attack you…or try to at least," Remus cut him off. "Cole of course tried to assure me you wouldn't be harmed…that by that time you'd be far enough into your training so I wouldn't be considered much of a danger to you…but I couldn't do that. I could never agree to anything so reckless."

"But I don't understand," Harry spoke quietly. "Why did he want you to become a werewolf when we're surrounded by a forest with so many creatures he could probably use any one he wanted?"

Remus met Harry's gaze intently for a brief moment, before he turned away, glancing warily at Lucius' still form.

"Let's go out into the hall," he spoke quietly. "I think he's asleep…but I'd feel better saying this where he can't hear."

Harry followed the professor's eyes to where Mr. Malfoy lay, and nodded slowly.

"Alright," he said uncertainly.

"Don't worry," Remus grinned. "If he tried to follow us he'd regret it. I know it doesn't look like anything's keeping him there, but trust me there is."

Harry nodded again, and together they crossed the room and stepped through the large steel door and shutting it firmly behind them.

Remus motioned for Harry to cross with him to the stairs. They both lowered themselves onto the top step, sitting next to each other, before Remus began speaking again.

"Harry, how much has Cole actually told you about this test you're going to have to take?"

"Barely anything," Harry shrugged. "I don't know what he's going to have me do…or if I'll be able to do it."

"All this work you've been doing with the crystals," Remus began, "have you really used any of them yet? Or has it all been just listening?"

"Just listening mostly," Harry replied. "I have no idea how what I'm doing now is going to make me ready for this test…I just hope Cole knows. He's done this a lot, right? I'm sure he wouldn't have me doing this for nothing…" he trailed off, looking at the uncertain expression on Lupin's face. "What is it? Why are you asking me all of this?"

Remus cleared his throat gently, before taking a deep breath and beginning to talk.

"Harry, Cole wanted me to attack you as a werewolf, for you to use one of your powers against me, to stop me."

"I could never do that!" Harry exclaimed angrily. "He must know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you…and besides that I don't even know any of my powers yet…I'd have no idea how to…"

"No he had one in mind, one that he assured me you'd be prepared to use well before he would need my participation in this test. I did get a very strong impression, however, that he was only saying that to make me feel comfortable about doing this, because he also told me you'd be learning everything as you went along, and the crystals would help you. So why would he need me to do this after you'd already learned? I think he was lying, but that's besides the point, the argument is over now and I'm not going to participate in his plans."

"Did he say what it was he was going to have me do…to stop you?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Remus replied slowly. "He told me what he wanted you to do…"

Harry waited for a moment, but Remus made no attempt to continue. Clearing his throat softly, he began to speak.

"Will you tell me?" he asked. "He didn't want me to…to hurt you, right? He couldn't believe I'd do anything that would…"

"No he wasn't asking for that," Remus interrupted quietly. "I'm not even sure I entirely understand exactly what it is he was going to have you do, because in all honesty I have to admit while he was explaining it I was more interested in getting him out of my office…"

"I understand," Harry nodded faintly. "And if you really can't tell me…"

"No, it's probably better if I do," Remus spoke up. "I mean after all, they're your powers…you have a right to know about them."

Harry waited silently as Remus seemed to collect his thoughts, several long minutes passed while the two of them sat side by side in the darkness of the atrium. When finally Remus took a deep breath, and began speaking.

"From what I was able to understand, Cole wanted me to come after you as a werewolf. Instead of using defensive magic or a weapon against me, you would have performed a spell using the crystals that would allow you to switch places with me…"

"Wait, switch places?" Harry interrupted. "What do you mean?"

"Our minds…and our souls," Remus replied darkly. Harry stared blankly at him, trying to understand what he was being told. "Cole said that if you were successful, you would be able to possess my body in the form of a werewolf, while I would be in your body…"

"But your mind would still be telling you you're a werewolf?" Harry asked.

"Right," Remus replied. Though I couldn't do the same type of damage in human form that I could as the wolf. So you'd be able to defend yourself…"

"Wait though," Harry interrupted again. "Did he mean for me to attack you as a werewolf then? Wouldn't that just be hurting myself as you'd be in my body?"

"No, Cole didn't say he wanted you to attack me, and I actually asked that same question. Any damage you inflict upon your body while I'd be inhabiting it, would transfer back with me when you decided it was time for us to switch again. You could slit your own throat and when you came back you'd be fine."

"So what would the point of that be?" Harry asked. "I mean I wouldn't do anything to hurt you anyway and I don't see how us switching places for any length of time would help…unless he means for me to stay as a werewolf until the sun rises and you transform back…"

"Cole actually did mean for you to stay as a werewolf until the transformation back into a human," Remus explained, "but he wanted you to make that happen, long before the sun would rise. You would have the ability somehow, through the crystals, to make that happen. Then when we switched back I would stay as a human, and neither of us would be hurt." Remus looked down at his feet as he finished speaking, and Harry put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm glad you told him no," he said solemnly. "Because I don't think I could have done what he wanted…if I messed up…if I'd hurt you in any way…" Harry trailed off, shuddering at the thought.

"I was thinking the same," Remus said, "If I'd managed to get to you before you made the switch…Harry I couldn't live with myself if anything had happened to you and I was to blame. I can't take that risk…ever," he finished sharply, looking back up and meeting Harry's eyes. The two looked at each other in silence for a brief moment, before both leaned forward, hugging each other fiercely. Harry couldn't believe Cole had the nerve to have made such a request of his friend, but was filled with relief that Remus had told him no, and would stay firm in his decision.

After another moment, they each sat back, and Remus started to pull himself up.

"I have to get back in there," he said quickly, nodding towards the door. "He's not supposed to be alone for too long…even with the barrier."

"I understand," Harry nodded, standing up as well. "Thank you Remus."

"You just get yourself back downstairs and enjoy the rest of your day," Remus replied with a wink. "You're seventeen…go act it!"

Harry smiled widely, and waited until Lupin had gone back through the door, shutting it firmly behind him, before heading back down the long, winding staircase.

Another week passed by without incident and Harry was starting to feel at ease again. Mel was spending more and more time with him and his friends, which he had no complaints about, but Cole had become almost invisible. Whenever Harry tried to find Cole no one seemed to know where he was. Allison was there and ready to help him if ever he might need it, but she couldn't…or wouldn't, tell him where her uncle was. While Harry preferred Allison's help, he thought it was quite odd that Cole was completely removing himself from this early stage in his training. He was supposed to be the expert, and he couldn't even be bothered to look in on Harry let alone come up and talk to him anymore.

The liar crystal barely made a noise the entire time Harry had been using it, which surprised him. It had been the only one of the crystals to insult him when he'd been introduced to it, and he'd assumed that would carry on into this training, but it hadn't. He told Allison of this but she didn't seem too worried about it, when the next weekend arrived Harry moved on to the next stone. The resolve crystal.

At first Harry had been very wary of using this crystal, after how it hade made him feel the first time he'd touched it, but much like the liar crystal, this one was not speaking much either. Harry began to wonder why this was suddenly happening, most of the others had at least spoken once or twice a day, in some cases more, but now, if it weren't for the hazy mist that surrounded him he wouldn't even be aware of each crystal's presence.

By the time the middle of the week arrived, Harry began to get worried again, and even his friends could see something was up.

"Alright, are you gonna tell us what's going on or should we try to read your mind?" Ron asked during Care of Magical Creatures.

"Hmmm?" Harry murmured absently, looking up to see both of his friends looking back at him, concerned.

"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked. You're not concentrating…I doubt you've heard one thing Hagrid's said all during class…and your if you bite that fingernail down any lower you won't have one left!" she said exasperatedly.

"Sorry," he said, dropping his hand into his lap. "It's just…well the crystals. They're not speaking again. I don't know where Cole is and he's the one I really want to ask about this…because Allison doesn't seem very concerned about it…only that I'm moving ahead with the stones."

"Do you have any idea why they wouldn't be saying anything?" Ron asked.

"Not really," Harry shook his head slowly. "But to be honest I can't stop thinking about the Fleshcrawlers. Cole said they could block the crystals…and that night Mel and I were attacked…well the crystal didn't speak until after the Fleshcrawler had gone."

"You think there's one nearby?" Hermione asked fearfully.

"See I don't know," Harry replied. "That night that we were attacked I heard the crystal again relatively soon after the Fleshcrawler had left. I assumed it had to be close by to block the power…but I'm not sure. That's why I want to talk with Cole."

"Has Draco or Neville seen him, do you think?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah aren't they still training with him?" Ron added.

"Neville isn't, no," Harry replied. "Malfoy I'm not sure about…" he trailed off, looking across Hagrid's yard to where Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sat packing up their things and closing their Jarvey's cage as Hagrid dismissed the class. "But I'm going to ask him right now." The three friends packed up their things as well, bringing the Jarvey back to the pen where Hagrid had instructed they be kept while class was not in session, before turning and starting after Malfoy.

"Draco," Harry called as soon as he and his friends were close enough, "I need to talk to you."

Malfoy slowed to a halt and turned slowly, crossing his arms over his chest and glowering at Harry while Crabbe and Goyle followed suit, predictably cracking their knuckles and grinning stupidly.

"What do you want?" he asked quietly, sticking his nose in the air haughtily.

"To ask you about Cole," Harry replied evenly, unsure if Malfoy were really trying to come across impatiently or if he was acting this way because the rest of his housemates were nearby and watching.

"What about him?" Draco snapped.

Harry met Malfoy's gaze, not wanting to talk about this where anyone could hear and feeling he might have a better chance of getting a straight answer if Draco weren't so busy trying to look annoyed by his presence.

"Allison asked me to come get you," Harry lied. "We're supposed to go down and meet her in her office after class."

"What does that have to do with Cole?" Draco asked. "What was your question?"

"Look I'll tell you on the way…" Harry replied quickly, "we're gonna be late, alright?"

Draco looked back at him skeptically and gave a dramatic sigh, as if this was a great inconvenience for him, before turning to Crabbe and Goyle.

"I'll meet you both later on," he said with a wave of his hand, as if dismissing them. The two oversized students nodded, still glaring wickedly at Harry and his friends, before turning and lumbering off towards the school.

"Alright Potter," Malfoy said, facing Harry once more, eyes narrowed, "what's this all about anyway?"

Harry glanced around at all the students still throwing them curious glances, the Slytherins especially.

"I tell you inside," Harry replied, not waiting for Malfoy to answer before he started moving up the hill, closely followed by Ron and Hermione. Neville had been standing nearby, waiting for something to happen and he looked at Harry questioningly as their eyes finally met. Harry shook his head, giving a faint smile to indicate everything was fine, and Neville nodded back once.

"I want you to tell me what's going on now!" Draco said loudly as he caught up to Harry.

"Malfoy will you get a clue?" Ron hissed angrily. "We're trying to make this conversation private and you keep attracting attention!"

"And why are they coming anyway?" Draco continued, ignoring Ron entirely. "I thought you said Allison wanted to see you and I…so why…?"

"Malfoy," Harry said, his voice strained. "Stop for two minutes, will you? Just wait until we're inside."

Draco looked very much as if he wanted to argue, but kept his mouth shut, glowering darkly at Harry the entire walk back.

Once inside the school, Draco started towards the dungeon area, but Harry grabbed his arm.

"Let's go this way," he said, nodding in opposite direction. Too many Slytherins were coming in with them; he didn't want them to be around during this discussion.

"I thought you said Allison wanted to see us in her office," Draco spoke in a low voice, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "We both know there's only one way to get there."

"Allison doesn't want to see us," Harry replied, hastily. "I just said that to get you to come with us, now will you…please? It's important."

Draco looked as if he didn't know whether to be angry or amused, but nodded grudgingly and began to walk with the three Gryffindors away from the hall that led to the dungeons.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about at any point during this horrid little stroll?" Draco finally asked testily.

Harry glanced around for the umpteenth time during the walk, before nodding faintly.

"I need to know about Cole," Harry began quietly. "You're still training with him, right?"

"Right," Draco replied uncertainly. "Why…aren't you?"

"No, I haven't seen him in a while," Harry said quietly. "I wasn't being given the same type of training as you…but Cole would always show up anyway, until a few weeks ago. I knew Neville wasn't working with him, and wondered if you still were. Has he been acting strange? Has he said anything?"

"He's acting the way he always acts," Draco replied flatly. "Ill-tempered and impatient. There's really only one difference in my sessions now…"

"What's that?" Hermione cut in, anxiously.

"Allison's always there too," Draco answered. "She never really says anything, and when she does talk it's only to Cole where I can't hear them…but she's there from start to finish at each session."

"When did that start?" Harry asked.

"A few weeks ago," Draco shrugged.

"You know," Hermione began thoughtfully, "I'd be willing to bet it was around the same time she started taking over for Cole during your training Harry."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Ron said confusedly. "If Cole still has the time to train Malfoy…why can't he stop by for a few minutes and see how you're doing with the crystals? Why is Gazten suddenly looking over his shoulder…or doing his job altogether?"

"I don't know," Harry said faintly, trying to think of any excuse that would make sense.

"What are you all getting at?" Draco asked slowly, glancing at each one in turn. "You sound like you don't trust Cole and Allison all of a sudden…"

Harry exchanged worried glances with his friends before looking back at Draco and speaking seriously.

"I don't know that we do anymore."

Draco stared at the three friends, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"You…you don't trust…" he began unsteadily. "You don't trust either of the people we've been working with…who've been helping us learn our powers to…to stay alive? I've been spending all this time with people who we suddenly don't feel safe with?"

"Oh get over it Malfoy this isn't about you," Ron said harshly.

"It certainly is!" Draco shouted suddenly livid, his eyes flashing. "My life is in danger because it's linked to his," he said disgustedly jerking a thumb at Harry. "If he gets hurt I feel it and I've been working with two people you all suddenly don't trust! I think it concerns me more than any of you!"

"Okay, okay…calm down for a second," Harry said firmly, putting a hand on Draco's arm, which was shaking furiously as he glared daggers at Ron. "We need to think this out. Maybe there's a good reason for what's happening with Cole and Gazten."

"You mean there's a good reason why they're spending time with Draco and barely glancing at you?" Ron asked, sardonically. "Well I just can't wait to hear this one…you're the Psion aren't you? Don't you think…?"

"Ron," Harry interrupted sharply, throwing his friend a warning look. He could feel Draco getting ready to lunge and the last thing they needed right now was to be fighting with each other.  
"Harry's right," Hermione said quickly, before either Ron or Malfoy could utter another word. "There may be a good reason…but there's only one way to find out."

"And that is?" Draco asked, shrugging Harry's hand off his arm and looking piercingly at Hermione.

"Well we would have to ask them," Hermione replied matter-of-factly.

"How exactly do you propose we do that?" Draco asked, rolling his eyes. "I don't think they'll take kindly to the four of us walking in there and asking them why they're acting so suspicious…they might be just the slightest bit offended…" he trailed off sardonically.

"I agree," Hermione said dryly. "You've heard of tact, yes? Am I assuming too much here or…"

"I know what tact is!" Draco snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Well good," Hermione replied curtly. "Saves me that explanation. We go down to see Allison…and hopefully we find Cole too."

"And then?" Ron asked.

"We just talk," Hermione shrugged. "See what they'll tell us…maybe Cole will be alright with giving us some idea of what he's been up to, maybe not. If he is then great, if not…well then he's hiding something."

"Yes but hiding what?" Harry spoke absently.

"Let's take it one step at a time," Hermione said. "First we go talk to them, then we'll go from there."

Harry nodded quickly and the four students started off back in the direction they'd come from, towards the dungeon area. They walked in silence, each drawn up in their own thoughts. It wasn't until they'd crossed back past the entrance to the school and started down into the dark cold halls that led to Allison's office that Harry suddenly felt something was wrong. At first he couldn't tell what it was, and began looking around almost nervously, as if expecting to find someone following them, but no one was there. He tried to shake the thought from his head, but it wouldn't go…something was wrong, and after only a moment more, Harry realized what it was.

The copper haze of the resolve crystal, that normally surrounded him in its glow, was gone.

Harry came to an abrupt halt, searching the air around him, praying his eyes were playing tricks with him.

"What's wrong?" Ron and Draco asked in unison as the three students slowed a few steps past Harry and began moving back towards him.

"The crystal is gone," Harry whispered, now looking up and down the dark corridor. "I think it might be…" he trailed off as a low growl filled the air around them. Harry swallowed hard, recognizing the sound to be exactly what he'd been afraid of…

"What was that?" Hermione whispered, her eyes wide as she tried to look everywhere at once. It was impossible to tell where the sound had come from.

"Fleshcrawler," Harry barely replied as he pulled out his wand.

"Where is it?" Draco asked fearfully, clutching his wand tightly. "I don't see anything!"

"Shhh!" Harry hissed, straining to listen. "You won't see them until they want you to…and that'll only happen when they've caught us. We have to listen; if we can tell where they're coming from we can…"

But Draco wasn't listening, he was turning furiously on the spot, his wand outstretched in front of him, ready to curse the first thing that moved.

"Malfoy!" Ron hissed, "Will you just…" but he was cut off by the sound of yet another growl, and another…there was more than one this time.

The three friends exchanged nervous glances. Harry knew they couldn't have much time left before the Fleshcrawlers attacked, but he still couldn't see anything. He was tempted to just start firing curses in any direction, but knew from what Dumbledore had told him, it would do no good. The Fleshcrawlers were too fast; they'd avoid anything thrown at them with ease. Deciding there was no other choice, Harry opened his mouth to tell his friends they would just have to pick a direction and make a run for it, when Hermione's voice rang out loudly.

"Tholus aegis!"

Harry watched as a bright green light spurted from the tip of her wand, forming a shield dome around the four students, and not a moment too soon. The instant in which the light connected with the stone floor of the corridor, four sinew tethers slammed against its surface, clanging to the floor loudly.

Harry stared down at them, his eyes wide with horror. The two that lay in front of he and Draco were blunt…meant to capture them most likely. But the two in front of Ron and Hermione, were formed into deadly spikes…meant to kill.

Harry glanced to his left as Hermione gasped. Her eyes were fixed on the spikes in front of both she and Ron, wide with shock and fear.

"They were…they were going to…to…" she stammered, her wand arm trembling slightly. She and Ron exchanged frightened glances, both of their faces drained of color.

"Don't think about it right now," Harry said firmly but kindly, coming up beside Hermione and steadying her arm. "Just concentrate on…"

"Look!" Draco shouted suddenly, causing the other three to jump. They all turned to stare in the direction he was frantically pointing, to see several dark figures moving towards them. As they neared the shield, Harry recognized what he already knew would be Fleshcrawlers, seven of them, gliding silently in the damp, dark hall, encircling the shield and glaring in at the four students.

Harry felt Ron brush against him, as he instinctively stepped back away from the horrid creatures, his expression frozen in terror.

"Hermione," Harry whispered, not taking his eyes off the Fleshcrawlers, "Are you okay? Can you hold this shield up or do you need help?"

"I'm fine," she barely managed to reply, her voice shaking as she spoke.

"What are we going to do?" Draco asked suddenly, spinning around and moving closer to the others. "They're gonna kill us!" he spoke fiercely, "They'll take us and…"

"Draco, calm down!" Harry said sharply, cutting him off. "We won't get out of this if we panic now either stop yelling and help us or shut up!"

Draco closed his mouth with a snap almost reflexively and remained silent. Harry knew under normal circumstances Malfoy never would have let him get away with speaking like that, but at the moment, he seemed too scared to argue.

"So what's the plan?" Ron whispered, crossing his arms over his chest to hide the fact that his hands were shaking. Harry pretended not to notice and met his friend's gaze.

"The only thing I can think of is…wait them out," he replied, glancing again at the creatures who were still slowly moving around them, leaving a dark trail of slimy green liquid in their wake. "They outnumber us, so I doubt we'd stand much of a chance if we lifted the shield and tried to attack…or run…"

"You're sure you can hold it Hermione?" Ron asked quickly, turning to look at her.

"I said I was fine," she replied stiffly, her wand gripped so tightly in her hand that her fingertips were white.

"And we believe you," Harry assured her, "just please don't hesitate to let us know if you need help."

"I won't," she said, her eyes fixed firmly in front of her.

Harry nodded, and glanced away again; trying to see up and down the corridor they were in the middle of. He prayed fervently that no one happened to come along at this moment; they would be in terrible danger if the did. He shifted his gaze once more to the shield, and the Fleshcrawlers beyond. They'd stopped moving now, and one of them happened to be standing directly in front of him. Its eyes were boring into his own, and he swallowed hard, as it took one measured step towards the dome.

"What's it doing?" Draco asked, stepping up slightly behind where Harry stood.

"I don't know," Harry replied, watching as the creature took another step. When it was barely an inch from the shield, it lifted its scaly hand and held it above the dome, allowing a clump of the green ooze to drip from its fingers.

The barrier began to crackle and hiss upon contact with the gelatinous liquid, and a tendril of smoke slowly trickled upwards, filling the air with a burnt stench.

"Its coming through…they'll get us, they'll…"

"Malfoy stop!" Harry tried to shush him, but it was no good. Draco's eyes were fixed on the Fleshcrawler in terror and he was starting to fully panic.

"We have to get out of here! We're gonna die!" he yelled.

"We will get out of here," Harry said, straining to remain calm and turning to face Malfoy. "I need you to…"

"Look out!" Draco yelled suddenly, pulling out his wand. Harry spun around to see the lead Fleshcrawler had taken a few steps back and lunged at the barrier, as if intending to run through it. Harry raised his own wand as the creature hit the shield…

"Incendia!" Malfoy yelled as the creature hit the dome. Harry had barely enough time to register relief as the Fleshcrawler rebounded off the shield; unsuccessful in its attempt to break through, when he realized Draco's spell had done the same. The large fireball that had spurt from his wand hit the barrier wall, and immediately bounced back at them.

"Duck!" Harry yelled out, hitting the floor as the fireball sped by above him. He felt Ron land next to him less than a second later, but before either of them had a chance to think they heard Hermione cry out in pain.

Forcing himself up immediately, Harry looked to see Hermione, crouching in the same spot she'd been standing, but the sleeve of her robes was badly singed. The fireball had hit her, but it hadn't stopped it, as Harry felt Draco land nearby. The air was very stale in the dome as the fire ate away at the oxygen, and Harry knew they had to get rid of it fast.

Pulling up his wand as the ball of fire rebounded off the ceiling, speeding down at them, Harry took his aim.

"Stinguo!" he yelled out, as a stream of water flew from the tip of his wand. The flames were doused in an instant, and the corridor went dark once more.

"What were you thinking?!" Ron screamed as he jumped to his feet. He leant down quickly and snatched Draco's wand from his grasp.

"Hey!" Malfoy cried indignantly, standing up and glaring at Ron hatefully. "Give it back, Weasley!"

"You could have killed us all!" Ron yelled. "You don't think much, do you? I can't believe…"

"Ron," Harry cut in, stepping in between the two boys. "Just give him back his wand, now's not the time…" he trailed off, looking to Hermione. Ron followed his friend's gaze and barely glanced at Draco, tossing the wand at him and rushing to his girlfriend's side.

"Are you alright?" he asked, clearly concerned. Harry looked once more at Draco who was muttering under his breath, before turning and crossing to his friends.

Hermione's arm was burnt quite badly, the flesh was seared red, and the wound was bleeding quite badly. She looked up at her friends, tears of pain running down her face, but her jaw was set in determination.

"Where did they go?" she whispered. Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances, and Hermione nodded faintly at the shield. Both boys turned around to see the hallway was completely empty.

The Fleshcrawlers had vanished.


	26. Chapter 26

"It's a trick!" Malfoy hissed, grabbing Harry's arm as he stood and took a step towards the inner wall of the shield. "They're trying to make us lower the barrier so they can attack!"

"Well I'm not going to lower it," Harry replied, shrugging Draco's hand away. "I'm just looking." He turned away and continued forward, until he was right up against the shield, searching the hallway for any sign of movement. His eyes had become well adjusted to the view from inside the dome at this point, and he moved all along the wall, until he came back around to where he started, turning to face his friends.

"Hermione let Ron take over for you…" Harry began immediately, seeing the strained expression on her face. "You need to rest."

"Yes that's a good…" Ron began.

"Does he need to though?" Hermione interrupted, visibly shaking with exhaustion and sweat running slowly down the sides of her face. "Are they gone?"

"I don't know…" Harry began, trailing off as a sudden rush of color swirled in front of him. The crystal's copper mist had returned.

"What is it?" Draco asked eagerly.

"The resolve crystal. I can see it again," Harry replied, feeling a tremendous flood of relief sweep through him. "C'mon, let's get out of here while we have the chance."

"Are you sure?" Draco spoke up. "What if they're still…?"

"I wouldn't be able to see the stone's mist if a Fleshcrawler was nearby," Harry cut him off. "So instead of waiting around for them to come back, I say we get out of here while we have the chance."

He turned away from Malfoy and crossed to where Hermione still knelt, with Ron just beside her, holding her to him as she struggled to hold up the barrier.

"Let it down Hermione, we need to get you to the hospital wing," Harry said gently, kneeling down next to her.

She nodded faintly, swirling her wand around once quickly, and they watched as the green barrier was sucked back into the tip. Without a moment's hesitation, Harry took hold of Hermione's right arm, while Ron took her left, one arm behind her back, and together they helped her to her feet. The energy she'd used to hold up the shield had been hard on her, but when she'd been struck by Draco's curse, it had only worsened the strain. Hermione lacked the strength to stand on her own, and her knees buckled the instant in which she stood.

Ron tightened his grip around her immediately, keeping her from hitting the hard floor.

"I've got you," he whispered gently in her ear. Hermione tried to nod in response, but could barely stay awake now. As soon as the pressure of holding up the shield was relieved, her energy was spent. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she slumped limply against Ron's chest.

"We have to get her to the hospital wing now," Ron said urgently as he leant down and lifted Hermione fully into his arms, cradling her head against his shoulder.

"Agreed," Harry nodded. Looking once at Draco to make sure he was moving with them, the three set off towards the hospital wing, as quickly as possible.

In no time at all they had pushed open the double doors to the hospital wing, drawing strange looks from several students for the last two halls. It was barely past lunchtime, and Harry felt anything but hungry at this moment. He wanted to make sure Hermione would be taken care of first off, then straight to the headmaster to let him know what had happened.

Madam Pomfrey appeared quite alarmed at Hermione's condition, and had Ron set her down on the nearest examination table. She immediately set to work, ripping the sleeve of the torn and tattered shirt to gain clear access to the wound. Harry inhaled sharply when he saw the burn had slowly spread almost the full length of her arm.

"Alright, out with the three of you," Madam Pomfrey said briskly, still carefully inspecting Hermione's arm. "I need to take care of this straight away."

"Can't we just…" Ron began.

"Mr. Weasley she will be fine," Pomfrey cut him off, knowingly. "But I can't have you three hovering about while I'm working. You can wait in the front if you'd like, but not back here."

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey," Harry said, taking hold of Ron's arm before he could speak again.

"Harry I can't leave her…"

"Ron we're not leaving her," Harry said quickly. "But we're not going to be able to do anything while we're just standing here. Let's go tell Dumbledore what's happened…we'll come straight back here, I promise."

Ron looked from the now closed curtains around the examination table to Harry and back, before nodding.

"Alright, but we have to make it quick," he said firmly.

"If you're both finished do you think we could get started here?" Draco spoke up suddenly. "I want to know what just happened down there…and make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron spat as they headed out through the double doors once more. "You're the reason Hermione's hurt…"

"You heard Madam Pomfrey, she'll be fine," Draco interrupted with a shrug.

"That's not the point!" Ron cried angrily. "If you would've stopped thinking about yourself for just a minute down there and realized what you were really doing this could have been avoided! You were so worried about getting caught that you almost killed all of us!"

"I did not!" Draco shot back, arrogantly. "One burnt arm hardly classifies as…"

"Alright enough! Both of you!" Harry interceded at last. "We just got out of a situation that we probably never would have and it's all thanks to Hermione. Let's stop fighting about it and just worry about stopping these things." He turned away as he finished speaking and quickened his pace up the hall, indicating he wasn't going to listen to any further bickering. Glaring darkly at one another but remaining silent, Ron and Draco sped up as well and soon enough they reached the stone gargoyle that lead to the headmaster's office.

Dumbledore was the only one in the room when the three students finally entered the office; he was in the far corner, going through a very dusty bookshelf when he heard the door swing open.

"Harry, Ronald, Draco," the headmaster spoke up curiously, taking immediate note of how anxious they all seemed and crossing the room to his desk. "What has happened?"

"There are Fleshcrawlers in the school!" Draco said quickly. "They came after us downstairs and tried to take us…"

"Draco!" Ron said, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Please," Dumbledore began, suddenly serious. "Come in and sit. I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

Harry, Ron and Draco ran through the frightening experience once more for the headmaster, telling him all that they could remember up until the mysterious disappearance of the creatures at the end. Draco had tried to skim quickly past the explanation of his panicked attempt at cursing the Fleshcrawlers, but Ron was having none of it. He made sure everything was explained fully, and when they told of the shield being lowered, he let Dumbledore know where Hermione was at present time.

Several long moments passed when they'd finished telling the story of what had happened, and Dumbledore remained silent, a calculating expression on his face as he stroked his beard.

"I need the three of you to wait here," he began at last, his tone firm, "for a few moments…"

"Can't we wait downstairs?" Ron interrupted eagerly. "In the hospital wing?"

Dumbledore glanced at him briefly; recognition in his eyes, and with a faint smile nodded once. "Very well, but you are not to leave the hospital wing until I come for you…all of you. Is that understood?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Yes sir," the three replied in unison.

"I shall escort you down now then," he said, standing up silently and coming around the desk.

The four left the office together, no one speaking much on this trip, and Dumbledore left them at the hospital wing, before turning and walking determinedly back up the hall.

Wasting no time whatsoever, Ron sprinted the length of the hospital wing to the examination table where he had left Hermione, and yanked back the curtains to find the bed empty.

"Where is she?" he asked, looking up sharply, a twinge of panic in his voice.

"I'm sure she's fine," Harry said, trying to sound calm. "She's probably just in a different room…"

"Correct, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey's voice floated over to them from a door only a few feet away. "Miss Granger is resting soundly."

"Can we see her?" Ron asked, taking one tentative step forward. "Please?"

Madam Pomfrey eyed them skeptically for a moment and opened her mouth to reply, but Harry spoke first, sensing that she would be denying his friend's request.

"Professor Dumbledore said we could wait here until he returns. He'll most likely want to talk to all of us about….what happened…"

"I bet he will yet," Pomfrey nodded once with a smirk, before sighing softly. "Oh alright, this way then. You can wait upstairs but none of you is to disturb her…she needs rest."

"We promise," Ron said eagerly, already across the room to where Madam Pomfrey stood, holding the door open for them. Harry and Ron ascended the steps quickly, with Draco bringing up the rear, a sour expression on his face. It was quite obvious that he'd rather be anywhere but here at this moment, and it was only his want to know what he could do to stop the Fleshcrawlers that was keeping him here without complaint at this moment.

Madam Pomfrey followed them upstairs and showed them to a room about midway down the hall. She opened the door gently and told them again to keep their voices down while in the room, before turning and heading back downstairs.

Once the door was shut behind them, Harry and Ron started towards the room's only bed, taking seats on either side of it. Hermione was in the bed, her breathing deep and even. The relief in Ron's eyes was evident, and Harry grinned as he watched his friend reach for his girlfriend's hand, and hold it in his own. Sitting back in his chair with an inaudible sigh, Harry glanced up to see Draco finally deciding to come over to the bed, taking the empty chair next to Harry and sinking into it with a huff.

"What's taking him so long?" he asked somewhat irately.

"Dumbledore's only been gone about ten minutes," Harry spoke quietly. "We don't even know what he's doing…it might be a while before he returns."

"Well did we have to wait here?" Draco replied glumly. "I mean at least in the office we'd be able to use the kitchen…I'm starved!"

Harry noticed Ron's head jerk up sharply at Draco's words, but he didn't say anything, controlling his temper so as not to wake Hermione. Harry glanced down at her again, ignoring Draco as well and looked at her wounded arm. It was bandaged heavily from wrist to shoulder, and Harry hoped it wouldn't cause her too much pain later on. He remembered how Madam Pomfrey had told him she could easily heal broken bones…so a burn shouldn't be anywhere near as bad.

"Why do you think they left?" Ron spoke up suddenly, keeping his tone low.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"The Fleshcrawlers," Ron replied. "What do you think made them leave? You told us that when you ran into one, an entity had called it off before it could hurt you or Mel. Well I didn't hear anything or anyone while we were in the dome…so…why would they have just turned and left?"

"I don't think," Harry began, "that they would've just given up. I suppose it's possible that they were called off while we were trying to avoid the fireball, and we just didn't hear the person who called to them."

"Maybe," Ron replied, looking back to Hermione. Harry could tell Ron didn't really believe that was what had happened…he didn't even believe it himself…but what other explanation could there be?

"What I want to know," Harry spoke up quietly, "is why does everything keep happening down near the dungeon area? There was the Dementor that Ginny and I ran into, Lucius attacked Draco and I…and now this is the second encounter with Fleshcrawlers. Why always there?"

"I don't know," Ron shrugged. "It's not as if you're normally found there…and well…we know that you're probably who they're looking for. They must know by now, if they didn't before, that you don't stay anywhere in the dungeon area."

Harry nodded, before speaking again quietly.

"But Draco does."

"What do you mean?" Malfoy piped up suddenly, looking up sharply as he heard his name.

"Well we know Voldemort is after the defender," Harry explained quickly. "And if he does know that it's you…"

"How could he?" Draco exclaimed. "The only person that knows I'm the defender that would ever consider telling Voldemort is my father…and you made sure he couldn't say a thing now, didn't you? He's locked up somewhere in the school and no one will even let me see him!"

"It all comes back to Saaneeraa," Harry said, sighing inaudibly. "If she knows…you can bet Voldemort does too."

"Then why not just go for Malfoy directly?" Ron asked. "I mean it seems like every time someone gets in down there they're always after you."

"I'm just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Harry said, shaking his head.

"No…that doesn't fit…" Hermione's voice floated up to them weakly.

Harry and Ron both turned their heads quickly, looking down at Hermione's eyes, which were barely open.

"We woke you, didn't we?" Ron asked apologetically. "I'm sorry, you need your rest and…"

"No, I was awake," Hermione smiled faintly.

"Eavesdropping, were you?" Ron joked, brushing a few stray hairs away from her face as he spoke.

"Can I help it if you have a discussion right next to me? I didn't tell you to sit here," Hermione replied with a smirk.

"We just don't want to stop you from resting," Harry spoke gently, smiling down at his friend. "Madam Pomfrey said it was important not to disturb you."

"Well I don't think a little talking will hurt me," Hermione said lightly. I promise I won't get up or anything."

"Good, alright…now get back to what you were saying before," Draco spoke up sharply, having been waiting impatiently while they talked. "What doesn't make sense about the intruders coming after me?"

"Malfoy…" Ron began angrily, stopping as Hermione closed her hand over his wrist. She shook her head faintly, and Ron nodded once, understanding she didn't want him to fight here, but it didn't stop him from glaring darkly at Draco.

Hermione pushed herself up into more of a sitting position and turned to face him as well. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak softly.

"To start off, the Dementor was in the school long before we knew anything about Harry's powers. At that time, no one knew you were the defender, so Voldemort had no way of knowing. Then when Lucius came you found out soon enough that he had no idea either, and he only learned of your identity when you told him. The Fleshcrawlers I can't be sure about…but they're definitely not only interested in you…and it's obvious they do know who you are."

"Obvious…how?" Draco asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Well…they didn't try to kill you today, now did they?" Hermione spoke, her voice very quiet. "Didn't you see what they shot at us…yours and Harry's were blunt…" she trailed off, shuddering involuntarily at the thought of what could have happened. Ron stood up from his seat and moved gently onto the edge of the bed, letting her lean into him, trying to comfort her.

"Why would they…" Harry began, trailing off immediately, not sure how to ask his question. "Why would they only want to take Draco and I?" he said at last.

"Harry you're the Psion and he's the defender," Hermione replied softly. "Why do you think?"

"No I know that," Harry said quickly, "but…I mean…"

"Why'd they try to kill you two?" Draco piped up suddenly, earning him an angry glare from Harry, which he ignored.

"I guess they didn't need us," Hermione shrugged softly under Ron's embrace.

"Yeah," Ron added, "they found who they were looking for with you two…why bother keeping us?"

"The first one didn't kill Mel though," Harry said. "Well I mean…with the tether it didn't."

"Maybe this time they were in a hurry," Hermione said. "Or maybe they didn't need to replenish themselves or maybe…maybe someone told them to kill us…I don't know what the reason is. But you said it yourself, you felt that first time that the Fleshcrawler went after Mel for a reason…"

"So someone's trying to…to hurt…or kill…my friends," Harry stated solemnly, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

"Or maybe just anyone who you happen to be with…that they don't need," Hermione said. "There's no way to be sure really…not with the information we have anyway. Right now we have to worry more about who they didn't try to kill immediately. The Fleshcrawlers were leaving Draco alive."

"Then he definitely knows," Harry spoke quietly. "Voldemort knows that Draco is the defender."

"Maybe he knows…maybe not," Hermione said slowly. "I mean to be honest, I would think if it had been Voldemort who sent the Fleshcrawlers he probably wouldn't have tried to leave Draco alive…he does want the defender dead, right? It would have been the easiest way to dispose of him if the Fleshcrawlers had been successful."

"Well then someone else was probably controlling them," Harry said quietly. "If it was Draam…or any of the other entities, then you can bet Voldemort does know. That's what they're here for, right? To get him the information he needs…"

"If that's really the case…I wonder how long they've known for," Hermione mused softly, pulling her head away from Ron's shoulder and looking back and forth from Draco to Harry. "They would probably tell Voldemort right away, wouldn't they?"

"That would be my guess," Harry shrugged.

"Well let's think about this," Hermione began. "What are the ways that they could have found out? Either one of the entities overheard someone here talking about Draco being the defender, or at least one of them is among us…disguised…like what we originally thought of Marzia."

"You mean what we still do think of Marzia," Ron added quickly. "Dumbledore wouldn't have made her leave if he trusted her."

Harry had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything. The headmaster had asked that he and Sirius to tell no one of the real reason for asking Marzia to leave, and that included his closest friends.

"Alright lets say one of the entities is in disguise," Harry spoke quickly, moving the discussion along. "Who is it then? I trust mostly everyone right now; the only person I'm…unsure about…is Cole…and maybe Allison. But it makes no sense at all that it would be one of them…because they're helping me with the stones. I doubt someone working for Voldemort would want me to learn my powers…" he trailed off as the door to the room opened once more and the headmaster walked in, followed by Sirius and Remus.

"What have you found?" Draco asked immediately, jumping up from his seat at once, a demanding tone to his voice. "How do we get rid of the Fleshcrawlers?"

"Calm down Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore spoke gravely. "We know little more than we did earlier, but thankfully we know that a shield can be used as a defense…one that they can't break through easily."

"That's it?" Draco cried, angrily. "So if we run into them we just put up a shield and hope they decide to leave again?"

"No that is not it," Dumbledore spoke evenly. "However at this moment I do not have any further information. I want the three of you to return to your dorms for the evening, Miss Granger will remain here until the morning."

"But…" Ron began, straightening up in his seat and looking ready to argue.

"Not tonight, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore spoke firmly. "I need you all back in your dorms, Miss Granger will be quite safe, I promise you." He turned to look at Sirius and Remus, who were waiting quietly near the door. "Remus, please take Draco back downstairs, Sirius, bring Harry and Ronald back to their tower. Then I'll need both of you to meet me back at my office…I shall get Cole and Allison."

"Do you think they'll know anything about what happened?" Harry asked.

"That is what I hope to find out," Dumbledore replied, a dark expression crossing his face. "Come now, it's time you three get going, I will speak to you when I know more."

Harry nodded once while Draco huffed loudly as he stalked across the room to where Remus stood waiting. Without a backwards glance he strode through the door, Remus behind him, shaking his head in exasperation. Harry said goodnight to Hermione and waited for Ron to do the same, before both boys joined Sirius. They left the room together and headed back downstairs to the main floor of the hospital wing. When they were back out in the hall, they started immediately for the Gryffindor tower.

Sirius started in immediately, questioning them and looking them over to make sure they were truly alright and unharmed. Harry could tell his godfather had been holding this back in the hospital room to allow Dumbledore to say what he'd needed to say, and was now practically falling over himself with worry…and anger.

None of the precautions they were implementing seemed to be helping anymore, not when creatures like the Fleshcrawlers were about. Who knew how many more Faerunian monsters could get inside the school…or if they were already there. The only two people who truly knew about these things seemed to be helping very little when it really came down to it.

"Is Dumbledore angry?" Ron asked quietly as they walked.

"Yes," Sirius replied with a curt nod. "Very much so, but not at any of you."

"At Cole?" Harry suggested, not really asking.

"Yes," Sirius replied again.

"What is he going to do about it?" Ron asked, somewhat anxiously.

"I guess I'll find out tonight," Sirius replied slowly. "He wants to speak to both Cole and Gazten…so we'll see."

"He can't ask them to leave though, right?" Harry asked, now feeling nervous. "I'll never learn how to use the crystals if they go."

"Harry," Sirius began, turning to meet his godson's gaze. "Professor Dumbledore will do whatever he feels is in the best interest of you and all the other students."

"He wouldn't close the school…right?" Ron asked, apprehensively.

"He might," Sirius replied quietly. "As I said…we'll have to wait and see."

When at last they'd made it to the portrait of the fat lady, Ron gave the password, and turned to say goodnight.

"See you later, Ron," Sirius nodded with a grin. "Don't worry about Hermione, she'll be well protected."

Ron nodded, smiling faintly back at Sirius, before looking to Harry.

"Coming?"

"In a minute," Harry said, motioning for his friend to go on without him. Ron nodded once again, before stepping through the portrait hole and letting it shut behind him.

"Something on your mind?" Sirius asked immediately, looking curiously at his godson.

"I was actually just wondering…" Harry began quickly, "if you'd heard from Marzia at all…I know Professor Dumbledore told us not to let anyone know, but I didn't know if you'd spoken to her since that day…"

"Everyday," Sirius replied firmly. "If I can't tell her that Dumbledore still trusts her, I at least want her to know that I do, as I'd never made a secret of it to begin with.

"Where is she?" Harry asked.

"At our house," Sirius answered. "I told her she was welcome there…no matter what."

"Is she mad at us?"

"You mean at Professor Dumbledore?" Sirius asked. "No, she isn't. She understands why he asked her to leave…or at least why she thinks he asked her to. The only thing bothering her is why her wand lit up when I performed the charm to find the map. She can't remember being without it at any point…and didn't let anyone use it."

"Well someone must've taken it," Harry said, wishing he had any idea who it could've been. He was sure it must've been the same person who really stole the map, but besides suspecting it was one of the entities, he had no clue who it was.

"Yes I agree," Sirius nodded, gravely. "However, we don't have any proof of anything right now, so we'll just have to wait it out. I have to get going right now though, Professor Dumbledore will be waiting and I don't want to be late for this particular discussion. Get a good night's rest and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright," Harry nodded, grinning faintly. "Goodnight Sirius," he said, turning towards the portrait hole. Giving the password, he stepped through into the common room, knowing his godfather was waiting until he was fully in to start off to the headmaster's office.

Glancing once around the common room, Harry saw Ron and Ginny in their usual corner, and waved at them once, indicating he was going to head up to bed early. They nodded back at him and Ron turned back to Ginny, most likely explaining what had happened that evening to his sister.

Harry walked into the seventh-year boy's dorm and made his way over to the crystal's trunk first. He knelt down in front of it with an inaudible sigh, preparing to open the chest and put the stone away, when for the first time since he'd begun using it, the resolve crystal began to speak.

We should have disposed of the Fleshcrawlers this evening; it was the only rational option.

What? Harry replied, moving back from the trunk. Where have you been all week? And what do you mean the only rational option? I think staying alive would be more important.

I've been with you every day, the crystal said in a casual tone. We could have disposed of the creatures very easily earlier and stayed alive in doing so…as I said, the only rational option. Pity you didn't take the chance while you had it.

What chance? Harry shot back angrily, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. We were inside a shield and two of my friends would have died if one of them hadn't cast it! When did I have any chance to do anything to the Fleshcrawlers?

Hermione could have given you an opening, the crystal replied flatly. She's the one who put up the shield and it was in her power to do so. Surely if you'd just asked her she would have.

Maybe so but I don't see why I would want to have done that…

What I don't see is why you didn't! the crystal interrupted sharply. We know that the Fleshcrawlers are affected by normal spells and curses in the same way a human would be…so why not take advantage of the situation? If you'd had an opening, you know they would have come to it, and you could have eradicated them on the spot.

Or I could have given them an opportunity to shoot one of their tethers at us again! Harry replied, tersely. We also know they have precise aim, they would only need a small target to take their aim…

They don't want you dead, you would have been fine, the crystal cut him off. If they were able to take hold of you, there would have been no way to take you out through only a small hole in the barrier, and your friends could have freed you.

What if they didn't aim for me? Harry asked, curtly. What if they went for one of my friends, instead?

Then you could have freed them.

That's not what I mean, Harry thought, darkly. They could have shot at one of my friends with one of the sharp tethers…what then?

Then one of your friends would have died, the crystal said, emotionlessly. Would that be so high a price to pay if everyone else was kept safe because of it?

Yes it would be, Harry replied, moving quickly back towards the trunk, intending to end this conversation. One I would be entirely unwilling to pay, as a matter of fact. I will never endanger my friends for any reason. Not to mention, we also have no way of knowing that those are the only Fleshcrawlers in the school, there could be dozens more for all we know!

Or those could have been the only ones, the crystal spoke firmly. You have to take the chances while you have them…don't let them pass you by.

Yeah sure, thanks for the advice, Harry snapped, calling the crystal back into stone form before it could utter another word. He glared at the gem in disgust as he plunked it back into its place in the chest, before closing the lid with a snap.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, he moved slowly back towards his bed, thinking over what the crystal had said. This time everyone had made it out alive, but would it always be that way? Would he ever be forced to let one of his friends die if it meant saving others? Harry could only pray that it would never come to that. Changing silently into his nightclothes, Harry slipped into his four-poster, and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

When Harry awoke the next morning and drew back the curtains from around his bed, the first thing he noticed was that Ron's bed was empty. Feeling his friend had probably gone down to see Hermione, Harry changed quickly and left the dorm, deciding to do the same. No sooner had he stepped through the portrait hole, however, then he heard someone call his name. Smiling as he recognized the voice, Harry turned to see Mel coming up from behind him.

"What're you doing all the way up here?" he asked as she caught up to him and they began walking together.

"Well good morning to you too," she replied, feigning insult as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, forgive me," Harry said mockingly with a broad grin. "Good morning Melanie, how are you on this fine day? I hope very much that you slept well and please…do let me know if you need anything, won't you?"

"Oooh, much better," Mel grinned, scrunching up her nose and sticking her tongue out at Harry, who rolled his eyes and laughed at her. "And to answer your question, I'm on my way back from the owlery."

"Writing to Jack?" Harry inquired gently.

"Yes," Mel nodded. "I'm going straight to his house after graduation…to…you know…spend more time with him…" she trailed off, a sad gleam in her eyes.

"Mel, I'm sorry," Harry spoke softly, putting an arm around Mel and drawing her to him. "I shouldn't have brought it up…"

"No, no…it's alright," she spoke hastily. "I'm actually looking forward to spending time with him…"

"I'm sure it'll be a wonderful summer," Harry nodded, smiling down at her warmly.

Mel returned the grin, before looking away, visibly shaking the thoughts from her head, before speaking again.

"So…Draco seemed very…irritated last night," she began slowly. "He was escorted into our common room by Professor Lupin who looked quite relieved to be leaving Draco there…have any idea what happened?"

"As a matter of fact I do," Harry replied seriously. "There was another attack by the Fleshcrawlers."

"What?" Mel exclaimed, pulling away from Harry and stopping in her tracks. He could see the fear that had immediately sprung up in her eyes at the mention of the creatures' name. "Where? What happened?"

Harry explained, as quickly as possible, the events of the previous night, including how upset the headmaster seemed when they'd last seen him in the hospital wing.

"I was just on my way to check on Hermione now…I'm sure Ron's already there," Harry finished.

"Well then let me save you the trouble," a voice called out to them from a short distance away. Harry and Mel looked up to see Ron and Hermione walking towards them.

"Hermione," Harry said happily, moving forward to meet up with his friends, Mel just behind him. "Are you alright? How's your arm?"

"It's fine," Hermione laughed, smiling at his concern. "I've already been through the third degree, however, thank you. Just ask Ron for the answers to all your questions…he's asked them several times already…" she trailed off, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Hey," Ron said, pulling Hermione closer. "It's only because I care, you know." He kissed her on the top of her head gently and she rested her head against his chest.

"Well," Harry smiled, "I'm glad you're alright."

"I am," Hermione nodded, "and starving as well. I haven't eaten since last night."

"Neither have I," Ron added, bringing his hand up to his stomach.

"Same here," Harry added with a laugh.

"Well then, shall we head downstairs?" Mel spoke up, glancing around at the other three.

"As soon as I get changed," Hermione said, glancing down at her robes from yesterday.

"I'll go with you," Ron said quickly. The two moved on, up towards the Gryffindor tower, and Harry turned to Mel once more.

"I guess it's you and me then," he grinned, taking her hand in his. She smiled up at him warmly and they continued down the corridor, towards the great hall.

The day past quickly and classes flew by. The resolve crystal had gone back to silence, and Harry had no complaints about that at all, he preferred it to stay quiet, as he so far had never liked what it had to say.

When it was time for dinner, Harry and his friends filed once more into the great hall, making their way to the Gryffindor table and taking their seats. Harry looked up to where Dumbledore sat, looking deep in thought, as if something was disturbing him. He could think of any number of things that could be on the headmaster's mind, and wanted badly to talk with him, to see what, if anything, he'd found out from Cole and Allison.

But by the time the meal was over, Dumbledore had exited the great hall swiftly, a determined expression on his face, and Harry had the strong impression it would be best not to bother him tonight. He headed back up to his tower with the others for the night, deciding to try again the next day.

By this time Neville was aware that something was going on, and he nearly jumped on Harry the moment he entered the common room, grilling him for information. Harry explained what was going on as best he could, and in turn, asked Neville for anything he knew about Cole and Allison, and if he'd spoken to them recently. Neville, however, hadn't seen either of them for an even longer period of time than Harry, with the exception of potions class.

As it grew later, and students started to drift off to the dorms, Harry decided to do the same. He said goodnight to his friends, and made his way upstairs, wanting badly to know what was going on, but having no way to get any immediate answers.

The next day went by quickly as well, and as Harry, Ron and Hermione returned to their common room after their last class, getting ready to head down to dinner, they were surprised to find Ginny, and several other sixth year students, mulling around leisurely.

"How'd you get up here so fast?" Ron asked as they made their way to where Ginny was reading in their usual corner. "Didn't you have potions last today? You beat us here from the dungeon when we were only one floor down!"

"No I didn't," Ginny laughed, looking up at her older brother. "Class was cancelled today. We all went down there and Sirius was waiting for us at the door. He told us that we were dismissed for today, and that we should head back upstairs," she finished with a grin, before adding, "can't say I was upset to hear this…"

"Why would it be cancelled though?" Harry asked, exchanging worried glances with Ron and Hermione.

"Maybe Gazten's ill?" Ron suggested.

"She's a healer," Hermione said quickly. "If she's sick I don't even want to know what she has…"

"Can anyone remember if Allison was at breakfast this morning?" Harry asked suddenly, uncertain if he'd seen her there or not.

"No, she wasn't," Neville spoke up from just behind Harry. The others turned to look at him as he spoke. "I wanted to speak with her after our talk yesterday, so I went down to her office early this morning, but she wasn't there. So I looked for her at breakfast too…but again…" he trailed off.

"Do you think she left?" Ron asked.

"All her stuff was still in Snape's office," Neville said. "I doubt she'd just leave it there."

"Unless she was asked to leave," Hermione spoke, thoughtfully.

"C'mon," Harry spoke suddenly, turning and heading for the door. "I want to ask Dumbledore what's going on, now. The others scrambled to catch up to him and they left the common room together. Harry could feel a knot forming in his stomach as the copper haze of the crystal caught his eye, and he quickened his pace.

The five students rounded the last corner and the stone gargoyle came into view, just as Dumbledore was stepping into the hall. A faint smile crossed his face as he caught sight of them, but Harry could see the headmaster was not in a good mood.

"Good evening," Dumbledore spoke quietly.

"Sorry to bother you professor," Harry spoke quickly. "But I was hoping you might tell us…if you've learned anything more about the Fleshcrawlers. Have you spoken to Cole or Allison?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Dumbledore replied gravely.

"Why not?" Hermione whispered. "What's happened?"

The headmaster looked at the five students for a long moment, before taking a deep breath and starting to speak.

"When I went the other night, to look for both Cole and Allison, I found them in Professor's Snape's office…"

"Well that's good!" Ron said suddenly. "Did they not want to talk with you, or…?"

"Let me finish, please, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore spoke firmly. "When I entered the office I found both Cole and Allison on the floor, unconscious. I brought them immediately to the hospital wing for Madam Pomfrey to treat them, but it soon became quite clear, that they were under the same curse as Professor Snape, Percy and Mr. and Mrs. Chang. We can't wake them up."

Harry felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. Here he'd been, on the verge of complete distrust for both Cole and Gazten, only to find out they'd become victims as well…victims of an unseen and dangerous enemy.

"But…but…" Harry stammered. "How? Who's doing this? There must be some way to wake them!"

"Harry," Dumbledore began, "I promise you if we can do anything…anything at all, to help them or wake them, we will do it. But as of right now, nothing we've tried has worked."

"What about…the crystals?" Harry asked in a quieter tone, glancing again to the copper haze surrounding him. "How will I finish with them?"

"For now, I have no answer to that question," Dumbledore spoke gravely. "I think it would be best, if you stop working with them for the time being, until we learn more."

"But…but I'm…" Harry began.

"Harry, I know how close you are to finishing this first stage of your training," Dumbledore spoke gently, as if reading Harry's mind. "And I can understand that this is frustrating, but without Cole or Allison, I don't feel safe allowing you to continue using the stones. Please don't ignore my request, I don't want you using the crystals again until I know more."

Harry nodded glumly, lowering his gaze as he did so. He knew Dumbledore was right. If anything happened there'd be no one who would know how to help him…if only he had started his training earlier.

"What happens," Hermione spoke softly, "if we can't find a way to wake up Cole or Professor Gazten?"

"We will deal with whatever comes," Dumbledore began solemnly, "as it comes, Miss Granger."

The weekend came and went, uneventfully, which was both a good and bad thing. Harry was quite thankful that no more unexpected visitors had shown themselves, but they were also no closer to having the answers they needed.

He'd stopped using the crystals, as Dumbledore has asked, though he barely noticed the difference. None of the stones he'd used for the last few weeks had said much of anything, with the exception of the resolve crystal for a few moments on one occasion, and he wanted to know why. If it had been the Fleshcrawler's presence, it would mean they had been close to him for weeks now, but had made no move to attack until just a few days ago. But he'd always seen the stone's haze, so that reason didn't quite fit. The other thought he was mulling over, was that the crystals' simply had nothing to say to him. The fact remained however, that he had no idea what the real reason for their silence was, and the only person who could probably give him the answer, was lying in a coma in the hospital wing.

Dumbledore was very obviously uneasy, and Harry was not the only one to notice this. The entire student body was feeling nervous over their headmaster's behavior, and Harry couldn't blame them. It was more than unusual for Dumbledore to act this way, even in the past when he'd been upset over something; it was a rare occasion that he let this emotion show through.

Sirius and Remus were stressed as well, though they tried to hide it in Harry's presence, not wanting to worry him any more than he already was. There was a rumor circling around that the school might be shut down, and Sirius and Remus didn't deny it. Dumbledore was, in fact, considering doing just that. All they could tell Harry was that a decision would be made by the end of the week.

By the end of the week, Harry was dreading any announcements from the headmaster. Classes had been all but a joke for the past few days; no one able to concentrate on any of their assignments, even the professors seemed to not have their minds on their work. Despite all of this however, Harry did not want the school to close. It couldn't…it would mean their enemies had won.

Saturday night was one of the most dismal to date in the Gryffindor common room. There was none of the usual chatter taking place, no games being played. Groups of students were spread about, chatting quietly about what they believed was really going on, and from the little bits Harry overheard, none of them were close to the truth. As far as he was concerned, however, it was best they didn't know. No use in scaring them more than they already were.

The four friends were in their usual corner, but for once, none of them were talking. They sat in silence, not sure what to feel or say. Harry thought briefly that this was supposed to be the big night before their next quidditch match, they should have been out on the pitch, having fun and laughing, not sitting in this gloomy environment, hoping their school would still be open the following morning.

Quidditch hadn't officially been cancelled, but it was assumed by the students that no further games would be played. Madam Hooch had stopped the practices, and for once, there was little complaint. Everyone was scared.

They stayed awake long into the night, until they could barely keep their eyes open. The common room began to empty little by little, everyone deciding to head off to bed.

Harry tossed and turned most of the night, unable to rest properly with so much on his mind. His head felt ready to burst and he drifted in and out of sleep for hours, before finally giving. He pushed himself into a sitting position, blinking in the darkness of the dormitory. Reaching for his glasses, he slipped them on before sliding out of bed and crossing to where his regular trunk sat at the end of his four-poster. Having no idea what he was intending to do, but feeling he had to keep his mind occupied, he shuffled through several items, before finding what he was looking for.

The Marauder's Map.

Harry closed the trunk gently, not wanting to wake any of the others in the dorm with him, and stood up slowly. He crept silently across the room and slipped through the door, making his way down to the common room. Once there, he crossed to the fireplace, settling down on the plush carpet in front of it, feeling the warmth against his face. Here it was the first day of May, and he still loved to sit in front of a fire, letting it warm him no matter what the temperature outside.

Spreading the map out in front of him, Harry pulled his wand from his robe pocket and aimed it at the parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The familiar swirling of shapes filled the map at once, until settling into the outline of Hogwart's, and all the names of those within its walls.

Harry studied it carefully, looking over each and every name for at least an hour, but there were none that seemed wrong, or out of place. And certainly none of the entity's names appeared, that he could see anyway.

Figuring it couldn't hurt any; Harry decided to ask the map for help.

"Hello?" he said quietly, "can you hear me?" He hadn't spoken to the map in a long while, and hoped that the marauders would still speak to him. Watching and waiting, feeling slightly apprehensive, Harry prayed to see even a small response…he didn't even care who it was from.

Another moment passed, and the map began to shift, the school's outline was sucked into the parchment slowly, to be replaced with a statement.

"Yes, I can hear you."

"Padfoot?" Harry asked, sure he recognized the scrawl.

"Harry?" came the reply.

"Yes, it's me."

"Haven't heard from you in a while…"

"I know, I've been busy," Harry explained, feeling silly over the fact that this map was making him feel guilty.

"Well, c'mon then…you never call on us for a good chat. What is it you want?" Padfoot asked.

"I wanted to know if Saaneeraa is in the school…" Harry said hesitantly.

"Did you see her in the school?" came the reply.

Harry shook his head; it could never be easy, could it?

"No I didn't," he replied calmly. "That's why I asked. You've shown me names on the map before that I couldn't see originally."

"That name isn't showing at the present time," another script appeared, and Harry recognized it as his father's…Prongs.

"Oh you're no fun, Prongs," Padfoot admonished.

"Trust me, neither are you."

"Thanks," Harry said, sincerely, before leaning back on his elbows and trying to think. He knew Saaneeraa had been in the school before, and apparently so had Draam. Who knew if any of the others had gotten in somehow as well? He wished Allison were awake, to ask her about the entities once more. He could remember the basics of what she'd explained to them, but wanted to hear all the specifics…to really think them through.

Suddenly an idea came to Harry, and he sat up slowly. It just might work, though he was hesitant to try, especially knowing that Dumbledore would most definitely not approve.

"Oh what harm could it do…it's only one of them," he whispered to himself, coming to a decision and standing up. Moving back towards the door to the dorms, Harry ascended the steps quietly and moved to the trunk containing the crystals. Glancing around once, to make sure no one was awake, he knelt down and unlocked the chest.

Raising his hand, he moved it along the stones until he found one that glowed a bright yellow, and called on it quickly, before closing the lid once more, and heading back down to the common room, the glowing mist of the memory crystal surrounding him.

Harry entered the common room once more, crossing to where he left the map and sitting down beside it once more. It had reverted back to the outline of the school, and Harry barely paid it any attention as he began to concentrate on the crystal.

Um…hello? he thought, not sure how to start a conversation with one of the stones. In the past, it had always been one of them to start talking and he would only reply.

Hello, came the reply a mere second later.

Sorry to bother you…I wasn't sure how to…

We are the same, the crystal interrupted softly, you aren't a bother.

Harry nodded absently, still feeling weird about working with one of the stones like this.

I'm trying to remember, he began eagerly, what I was told about the entities…

Everything we were told?

Well…everything that could be important, Harry replied. I can remember the descriptions that Allison gave…and that they don't work together. I don't know I'm really just trying to figure out if they're in the school…and if they're not now then at least how they're getting in unnoticed.

Well the best place to start would be with the ones we know have been in the school, Saaneeraa, and most probably Draam too. We know Menetor and Fenestraal can pass for human, and we know Rolisch'kah and Elri'kah can't.

Right, Harry said. But I want to know…or see if we can find anything on who they were controlling…or impersonating…while in the school.

The Shadow Behind.

Huh?

Allison told us Saaneeraa was called the Shadow Behind. When Sirius told us of what happened during his encounter with Menetor, he called her the Shadow Behind. We know the entities don't get along, and he certainly seemed to want to hurt her…

Harry's jaw dropped, unable to believe he'd never made that connection before.

But it can't be Marzia…he thought imploringly.

These facts would suggest otherwise.

No, Harry thought, determinedly. Someone was setting her up…that's what we have to figure out, who did that. Menetor tried to hurt her but then Fern healed her…I'm sure she would have recognized Marzia as Saaneeraa too, if that's who she truly was. Plus when we got the map back…Sirius, Dumbledore and I looked on it. We saw Marzia's name. I've seen Saaneeraa's name on the map before so I know it would show up if she were there…

Would it though? the crystal spoke softly. The only time we saw Saaneeraa's name was when we were looking at a memory of the map, to show us the past. We never saw Saaneeraa's name while observing the map in a present view.

So…so you think…she can hide her name from the map when we're looking at it regularly, but not when we're looking at the past?

It's a possibility.

Harry turned his gaze immediately back to the Marauder's Map, still lying open on the floor. Not wanting to waste any more time, he pulled out his wand, trying to remember the words he'd heard Remus use that night.

Exhibeo Vetustas

"Exhibeo Vetustas," Harry spoke at hearing the crystal's voice, and the picture vanished immediately, asking for a date, time and location.

Thinking hard, he tried to remember a time when he knew exactly where Marzia was at a specific time, when again the crystal's voice filtered through his thoughts.

Halloween…

"October 31st, seven o'clock in the evening, the fourth floor guest quarters," Harry said hastily, anxiously awaiting the new image that began to form on the parchment. It closed in immediately on the room Harry had specified, and as it came into complete focus, Harry let out a relieved sigh.

Marzia's name appeared before him, and from where it seemed to be located in the room, she was resting on her bed from the events of the day, just as Sirius had said she'd been.

You were wrong, Harry thought with a small hint of amusement.

No, the stone replied calmly, what I told you was the truth, this merely rules out Marzia for the time being.

Harry nodded, looking back to the map once more. He raised his wand, hearing the memory crystal in his head, knowing again what spell he was looking for right away.

"Adaperio," Harry said quickly, using the other charm Remus had shown him that night. The map spread out once more, giving him a full view of the school, but remaining in the past. Harry immediately spotted what he'd been looking for. He found his own name, along with Ron's and Neville's, in the guest quarters they'd been taken to that night. Shifting his gaze slightly, he found the other name he'd been searching for. Percy Weasley.

"Not Percy either," he spoke aloud. "He may have been under someone else's control that night…but he was still himself."

Sighing inaudibly, Harry began scanning the map quickly, hoping to catch sight of anything that might be helpful to him. He spotted Remus and Sirius walking side by side, moving towards the headmaster's office. Harry lifted his eyes slightly to that area, inhaling sharply as he did so.

Dumbledore's name was there, as well as McGonagall, Hermione and Ginny's…but standing in the office with them…  
"Saaneeraa," Harry barely whispered.

He immediately began searching the map again; looking for the one name he didn't see…

It's Allison, the crystal said gravely.

"But that makes no sense!" Harry said aloud, still looking fervently for her name. "She's done nothing but help me! She taught Neville how to use his powers! She helped him save me from Voldemort…she…she…no it can't be her! Why would she do all of that if she wasn't on my side? Not to mention where is she now?! I doubt that it would be easy to put someone as powerful as Saaneeraa in a coma!"

He continued to scan the map, a knot in the pit of his stomach, but it was in vain. He couldn't find the name Allison Gazten anywhere.

"It can't be her," he said again, sitting back weakly.

Her name is the only one missing.

Yes, I can see that, Harry thought back irately, before realizing what he was doing. Taking a long, deep breath, he tried to calm himself…to think.

"I have to see Dumbledore," he said suddenly, grabbing the map and starting for the stairs to the dorms. "I have to talk to him."

He walked back into the room where his friends were still sleeping and headed for his closet. Changing faster than he'd ever done before, he threw on a pair of shoes and started for the door, before he remembered he still had the crystal. Turning so quickly he almost lost his balance, Harry backtracked to the chest containing the stones, and unlocked it.

Wait, the stone said urgently. At least keep one of us with you…

But Dumbledore… Harry argued, he'll be upset if…

He won't know…please. Just one.

Harry hesitated, feeling very uneasy about this request. He didn't know if this was a trick or not, but he found it very strange that this was being asked of him by the memory crystal. The resolve crystal he'd expect it from…but not this one.

Alright, he replied at last, still feeling uncertain. I'll keep one of you with me.

He called the memory crystal back into gem form without waiting for an answer and placed it back into the trunk. A moment later, he slid his hand towards the bottom corner and let it hover above the stone with the golden glow. Harry called on the courage crystal, the one of the lot he felt he could really trust. When its haze was around him, he again grabbed the map and his wand, shoving them into his pockets and heading for the door.

The sun was rising now, and Harry hoped the headmaster would be awake, as he stepped into the corridor, feeling a slight chill in the early morning air, as he began the walk to the office.

He'd barely turned the first corner, however, when his eyes began to water. Wiping at them absently, Harry continued to walk, quickening his pace, but a familiar tingling sensation began to come through all too clearly, and it took only a moment more for him to realize what was happening.

He was having another vision, the first one in a great long while. As his normal sight faded out, Harry stopped moving, knowing another image would come into view soon enough. He only hoped it would be quick, it was imperative that he speak to the headmaster now…but when the new image finally did come into view, all of his previous thoughts were wiped from his mind. Harry could feel his breathing begin to quicken, as he realized where he was in this vision…it didn't take long for him to get all the information he needed, and the picture faded quickly.

Harry could feel his heart racing as his sight returned, and he set off again, running, running as fast as his feet would move him…but he was no longer heading for the headmaster's office.

Sprinting recklessly through the corridors, Harry barely even thought about which way to turn. He'd taken this path more times than he could count, and right now all he could concentrate on was reaching his destination.

Do you realize what we're doing? the crystal's voice asked demandingly.

Yes, Harry replied without hesitation. Saving her.

Do you even know what we're up against?

I don't care!, Harry screamed in his head, gritting his teeth as he tried to more faster still. Mel's in trouble and I'm not going to let anything happen to her! If I thought I had time to go get help, I would.

You realize what was following her…

It was Draam, wasn't it? Harry asked, cutting the crystal off.

From the looks of it, yes.

Harry didn't reply, but put on a final burst of speed as he rounded the last corner. The vision he'd had playing over again and again in his head as he raced for the end of the corridor.

He'd seen Mel walking through the halls, recognizing immediately that she was once again on her way to the owlery. Knowing there had to be some reason for the vision, he'd begun looking around frantically, waiting…and less than a moment later he'd seen it.

A hunched, rotting body, its skin appearing to be melting away and steadily regenerating as it moved, was creeping along, several feet behind Mel, its dark eyes fixed almost hungrily upon her. Harry didn't know why it was after her, but he couldn't let it reach her before he did.

Reaching the doors to the owlery at last, Harry thrust his hand into his pocket and drew out his wand, before bursting through the entrance with a rush of energy.

Glancing around frantically, he set off down towards the edge, where Mel's owl usually rested.

"Mel!" he yelled, trying not to sound panicked as he glanced up each aisle. "Where are you?"

"Harry?" he heard Mel's voice call out inquiringly, coming from exactly where he expected she would be. He reached the last row just as she poked her head out of the aisle, a curious grin on her face.

"What are you doing up…?" she began.

"We have to get out of here," Harry cut her off quickly, taking hold of one of her arms, and starting to turn.

"Wait…what?" Mel said, her smile fading. "What's going on?"

"Someone was following you," Harry said. "We have to leave…I don't know how I made it here before they did but…"

"I'm afraid you did not," a layered voice spoke up, floating down to them. The two students looked up at once and Harry heard Mel gasp in fear. She gripped his arm, her eyes wide, as the entity known as Draam came to a halt only a few feet away.

Harry recognized the voice as the same one from the night he and Mel were first attacked by the Fleshcrawlers, though he still couldn't place what was familiar about it, and at the moment he didn't care. They were trapped. Draam was blocking the path to the door, and the ledge of the owlery, with a drop that would prove fatal, was just behind them.

"What is that?" Mel asked tensely, taking a step back, instinctively. Harry made sure he was holding her tightly, fearing she might walk too far.

"Don't worry," he whispered back, trying to sound confident, while feeling helpless. "We'll get out of this."

"You'll be coming with me," Draam hissed, the pits that were his eyes bored into Harry as he spoke. "And you," he continued, shifting his gaze slightly to stare at Mel, "will not be."

Harry heard the threat in the entity's voice, and immediately stepped in front of Mel, protectively.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Harry said evenly, sounding far more menacing then he felt. "And I won't let you hurt her."

"You…can't…stop…me…" Draam spoke slowly, annunciating each word in turn, a wicked smile on his red lips. Harry felt his stomach twist, knowing what had been said was the truth. He didn't know how to fight one of the entities…

Trying to keep a tight grip on his wand in his sweaty palm, Harry looked around, trying frantically to think of a way out, knowing any spells would most likely prove useless, when he saw Draam raise his arms.

Black smoke began to seep from the entity's fingertips, swirling around in thin tendrils, but building up quickly.

"What's it doing?" Mel whispered fearfully, her eyes fixed on the black haze in front of them.

"Just stay back," Harry replied, holding his wand up in front of him. The last time he'd encountered the black mist it seemed to recoil from his wand, hopefully this time would be the same. "Get out your wand," he spoke hastily, glancing briefly at Mel. "If the smoke comes near you just…just swing at it…" he said, not sure what else to do.

Mel didn't question him, and immediately reached into her robes, extracting her wand from her pocket. She raised it up in front of her, around Harry's side.

The smoke had completely blocked their vision of the rest of the owlery by now, and was moving ominously towards them.

Seeing no other option, Harry lunged forward, swiping at the smoke, feeling a brief swell of relief as it backed away from his wand. He tried to cut through it, as he did last time, but it was too thick. Backing up once more, he did all he could to keep it away from both of them, but soon enough his efforts proved in vain. They stood on the edge of the wall, with nothing behind them except air…and the cold, hard ground below.

Mel was taking short, quick breaths, not having made any move to attack the smoke yet. When it became clear to her that there was no choice left, however, she finally drew up her courage and swung at the haze. Instead of recoiling from her wand however, the smoke wrapped itself around her wrist, and she cried out in fear.

Harry turned at the sound of her voice, feeling his stomach lurch as he saw the smoke actually trying to force her backwards. Swinging violently at the mist that had begun to creep around him in his moment's hesitation, he reached out for Mel's arm, and missed.

The smoke had at last overpowered her with a sharp thrust, and with a panicked cry, she was forced over the ledge.

Harry's heart lurched, but he didn't stop to think, he flung himself forward, landing on his stomach as he grabbed frantically for Mel, catching her right hand just above the wrist with his left one.

"Hold on," he barely managed to get out, his voice shaking from the strain of trying to keep his grip. He could hear Draam laughing wickedly behind the wall of smoke, and felt hot hatred building up inside him, but he couldn't dwell on it…he had to save Mel first.

The smoke was now swirling around him, past him, and Harry was horrified to see it snaking around her ankles, it began to pull down, trying to pry her from his grasp, but Harry refused to let it happen. Looking into Mel's terrified eyes, he brought his other arm around, gripping her wrist in both of his hands.

This proved to be a bad idea, however, as the smoke increased the pressure on Mel's ankles, and Harry had no free hands to hold on with. He could feel himself sliding forward, his chest grating against the stone floor of the owlery. Trying to catch hold of anything, Harry brought his knees up awkwardly, pushing the front of his shoes into the floor, but it was no good. He had been pulled too far along now, and before he even realized what was happening, he heard Mel scream, and they began to fall.

Harry heard the wind rushing by as they dropped at breakneck speed, barely able to think. He knew Mel's wrist was still in his hand, and she was screaming in fear, when suddenly the crystal burst through his thoughts.

Hold onto her.

Harry hesitated for a moment, his head reeling from shock.

Now! the crystal demanded urgently.

Harry reacted instantly, having no other choice, he lifted his arm with great resistance from the air pushing against him, and barely managed to get it around Mel's waist, pulling her to him and holding her tightly as she grabbed hold of him as well, clinging to him in terror.

The moment he had a hold on her, Harry felt a hot rush of energy flowing through him, filling his being and regulating his breathing. He suddenly felt entirely calm and at ease, as the ground grew closer. Surely there was barely more than thirty seconds left, when the mist of the crystal swirled around them violently, slowing their movement…but gradually.

Mel looked up abruptly, a hopeful expression on her face as she felt the change in their momentum, but did not ease her grasp around Harry's neck any. He didn't think about that for the moment however, as he realized he now had some control over what was happening. Concentrating with all of his strength, he willed them to slow down…to land softly.

The wind that was rushing past them had lessened greatly as the ground came up to meet them, and at last, Harry felt his feet connect with the meadow floor, harshly.

Stifling a cry of pain, Harry let go of Mel, and struggled to keep his balance as pain shot up both of his legs. He barely heard a dull cracking sound as a flash of hot agony seared through his left ankle.

"We're…we're not dead…" Mel whispered, shock and fear registered on her face. She was looking around in awe, before her eyes came to rest on Harry and a concerned expression replaced the amazed one.

"Are you alright?" she asked, stepping close to him, as he looked ready to fall over. But as he glanced up to meet her gaze, she gasped in surprise. "Your eyes," she began, sounding scared, "they're…"

"They're what?" Harry asked, anxiously.

"They…they were…" she stammered, hesitating another moment before continuing slowly, "well...they looked almost gold…fully gold…but not anymore." She seemed to visibly shake the image from her head, before looking into his eyes once more and repeating her question.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harry nodded stiffly, trying not to show the pain he was feeling. "How are you?" He asked, genuinely concerned. "I'm so sorry that…"

"Don't," she said quickly, shaking her head. "Don't apologize…we're both alive…though I don't know how…" she trailed off; glancing back up to the ledge they had just fallen from. Harry glanced up as well, seeing nothing out of the ordinary…the smoke was gone, and it seemed, so was Draam.

"You saved us, didn't you?" Mel asked quietly, turning her attention back to Harry. "With those powers you have now…you slowed us down."

"Obviously not enough," Harry spoke through clenched teeth as he tried to put pressure on his right leg, only to feel another surge of pain run through it.

"You're not fine at all," Mel said, seriously. "We have to get you to the hospital wing."

"I…don't know…" Harry began, testing his ankle by stepping down gingerly. "Maybe I should wait here…" he began

Run! the crystal's voice cut through urgently.

What? Harry asked, looking up suddenly to see what the problem was. There at the far corner of the school, were three Fleshcrawlers, who spotted them immediately.

Glancing down, trying not to panic over the fact that the courage crystal had just told him to run, Harry spotted their wands which they'd dropped as they landed and scooped them up in his grasp, before looking worriedly at Mel, who'd just spotted the creatures.

"C'mon!" he said firmly, once again grabbing her by the wrist as she turned her terrified gaze upon him. "We have to run!"

Barely nodding in reply, Mel started to move alongside Harry, as he ignored the pain in his leg entirely, and they took off, away from the Fleshcrawlers…and the school.

Trying to move quickly but unable to shut out the throbbing pain in his ankle, Harry had to limp along to keep from stumbling, but he feared he was slowing Mel down, and knew that it would only be a matter of moments before the creatures tried to shoot at them.

"Don't wait for me," he said breathlessly, sweat standing out on his forehead from exhaustion. "Just go…"

"No," she replied with finality, shaking her head. She glanced down quickly, plucking her own wand from Harry's grasp, and spinning around.

"Insectatio Aegis," she spat out impatiently and an instant later there was a wall of energy behind them.

"You said the shield worked last time, right?" she asked, glancing back at Harry and looping her arm around him, helping him to remain steady.

"Yes," he nodded as they moved along hastily.

"Well then this buys us some time…let's go."

Harry glanced back once more to see the shield following them as they moved. Turning back to face front, he saw nothing nearby that could help them out of this situation. Hagrid's hut was too far from where they stood, and they'd have to go through the Fleshcrawlers to reach it, the same went for the school entrance. The only choice they had, in order to lose the creatures, was to go forward…

Into the forbidden forest.

Not daring to look back again, for fear that the Fleshcrawlers would be upon them, Harry and Mel streaked across the grounds as fast as they could go, not hesitating for even a moment as they reached the forest, and entered.

Deeper and deeper they went, the light growing dim as the thick, dark branches of the ominous trees blocked it out. But neither one spoke, trying to remain as silent as possible as they moved through the undergrowth.

After a short while, Harry came to a stop, breathing heavy as this walk was doing little to help his ankle, and Mel stopped alongside him.

"Something's following us," Mel whispered fiercely, looking behind them and squinting to see in the darkness. The shield had faded away by now and there was nothing left to protect them.

"I hear it," Harry breathed back, gripping tightly to his wand. "It's probably the Fleshcrawlers…we should keep moving.

"But where? How far?" Mel asked apprehensively.

"Until we lose them," Harry replied evenly. "It's the only choice we have."

Mel nodded, determination evident in her eyes, as they began to move again. Harry had no idea how deep they'd gone into the forest but in the brief moment they'd stopped and he'd glanced around, he found the school grounds to be completely out of sight. Gritting his teeth in grim resolve and ignoring the pain in his leg, Harry forced himself forward, praying that they didn't run into something even worse while in the forest.

Pushing further still into the darkness, Harry remained alert, glancing around often, and seeing nothing but shadows. They moved on in haste, pushing aside bushes and dead shrubs blocking their path, knowing they were making their own route quite obvious, but could do little to prevent it. Finally, after another agonizing stretch of time, Harry could go no further. His leg buckled beneath him and he was barely able to catch his balance with Mel's assistance.

"Just go," he said breathlessly as he pulled his hand away from her, letting himself drop to his knees. "Run…don't let them get you…"

"No," Mel said firmly, lowering herself to the ground and taking his hands in her own. "I'm not leaving you here."

"Mel don't you understand?" Harry cried, trying not to sound panicked. "They might be trying to catch me but they're trying to kill you! You have to get out of here! I can't…not again, please Mel just…" he trailed off, feeling his heart stop, as the sound of their pursuers became clear once more, rushing through the path Harry and Mel had left for them.

Mel stood up immediately, her wand raised in front of her, ready to curse the first thing that moved.

"Mel please!" Harry whispered loudly, feeling his stomach knotting in worry for her safety. He started to pull himself up but the very moment that even the slightest pressure was applied to his left ankle it sent a fierce bolt of pain through is leg and up his spine, causing him to crumple back to the ground. Huffing in frustration, he looked up at her again. "They outnumber us…please run!"

"I'm not leaving you here alone, Harry," Mel said stubbornly. "So stop making noise and attracting more attention."

Harry glared at her, angrily; feeling helpless as she stood in front of him, ready to face the danger that was growing steadily closer. Why wouldn't she just leave? Didn't she realize it was much more dangerous for her to be found by these creatures at the moment?

Bringing up his wand in front of him, Harry was debating whether or not he should try to force Mel to leave, when he heard a familiar voice.

"What did they think they were doing?" Malfoy's voice floated through to them, sounding annoyed. "Going clear through the forest?"

"Oh shut up, Malfoy," Neville's voice replied. "If Fleshcrawlers were chasing you I'm sure you'd do the same thing. I heard all about your attempt to curse them…from inside a shield. Brilliant that one."

"Look who's talking!" Malfoy shot back indignantly. "Before this year you couldn't tell a curse from a charm…let alone perform any of them."

"Will you lower your voice already?" Neville whispered back fiercely. "I just want to find them and get out of here. Who knows what they might've run into…and Harry was limping…"

"You say this as if I don't know already," Draco spoke sardonically.

Harry and Mel were listening to the conversation in shock, as the voices grew closer, glancing at one another in confusion and hopefulness, as the other two students came into view at last.

"Harry!" Neville cried out, relief in his voice as he shot forward. Draco stood where he was, his arms crossed over his chest, an impatient look in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked as he knelt down beside his friend, glancing briefly at Mel who squatted just beside him.

"How did…what about…" Harry stammered. "The Fleshcrawlers…they were following us…"

"I know," Neville replied, nodding quickly. "Draco and I saw them as we came out of the school. He knew you were hurt…and he came to get me. I felt that you were outside the school, and so we left. We saw Mel put up the shield just before you ran into the forest, and started after you. The Fleshcrawlers had a head start, but they didn't see us, and well…" he trailed off, glancing hesitantly at Draco.

"What?" Harry prompted, anxiously.

"I killed them," Malfoy spoke, quietly, a smug grin on his face.

Harry stared evenly at Draco for a long moment, before nodding once. Somehow, it didn't surprise him that Draco would know how to perform the unforgivable curses, and to be honest, it was much better this way. If they'd left them tied up or in a body bind, there was always a chance that they'd escape or that the curse would wear off.

"C'mon," Neville said, hastily. "We need to get out of here"

"I don't think he can walk," Draco piped up as he started towards the other three, and Harry noticed then, that he was limping.

"But you can," Harry said. "So at least something came from all your lessons, right? You used to feel the pain worse than I did."

"I felt it when it first came, trust me," Draco said as he knelt down across from Neville and Mel, reaching for Harry's ankle. Harry winced slightly as Draco's fingers closed over his ankle, but he pulled his hand back after less then a minute.

"It's broken…swell," Malfoy said, rolling his eyes.

"I thought it might be," Harry admitted, shifting his position slightly and putting his hands on the ground just behind him for support.

"Well you've only been hurting it more with all this running," Malfoy said, sounding inconvenienced. "And I know that I haven't the slightest clue how to heal something like that."

"Neither do I," Mel said quietly, and Neville shook his head as well.

"I, however, know exactly how to help you, if you'll accept my assistance," a new voice spoke up from just a few feet away.

The four students looked up abruptly, all gripping their wands tightly, and Harry's jaw dropped in shock as he saw who stood before them.

"Tytros!" Harry cried in surprise. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried.

"Hello Harry," the Zlam nodded in reply. "I've been trying to contact you for quite some time now."

"You!" Malfoy cried suddenly, hot anger flashing in his eyes as he stood up and raised his wand. "I remember you!"

"And I remember you," Tytros replied crisply. "But this is no time to argue about the past, there are much more important matters at hand."

Harry knew Draco was remembering their detention together, when Tytros had appeared and caused him to fall asleep. Harry had ended up nearly losing his life that evening, as the Zlam had wanted him dead to regain control of their knowledge, but he'd escaped at the last minute, and just barely made it back to Hogwarts.

"Draco just calm down," Harry said hastily, before turning to meet Tytros' eyes. "What do you mean you've been trying to contact me? You've known that I've been at the school…"

"Of course I've known," Tytros replied, stepping forward. Draco tensed up noticeably but the Zlam ignored him, kneeling down at Harry's feet and gently wrapping his long, slick fingers around his ankle. "I haven't been able to get anywhere near the school for many months now," he spoke as a soft glow began to emit from under his hand. Harry felt a comforting tingle in his ankle and a moment later, the pain was gone entirely. Tytros removed his hand and stepped back as Harry started to get to his feet. He pushed down gingerly on his injured leg to find it completely healed, before looking up at Tytros once more.

"Thank you," he said quietly and the Zlam nodded in reply. Harry looked him up and down, feeling much more at ease around him than he would have expected, before continuing. "So…what happened then? Why couldn't you get near Hogwarts?"

"It appears that the school is swarming with Fleshcrawlers," Tytros began. I can sense them…I can see their dark aura…and I cannot get near them. No living being has any power near them…with the exception of humans."

"Yes, I know," Harry nodded gravely. "You've been trying for months, though? How many? Have they really been here that long?"

"Since the beginning of winter," Tytros replied. "I promised I would let you speak with our keeper and I wanted to notify you as soon as he was ready. Forden has even given permission to allow you a short amount of time to speak with him, but that is all."

"Where is he?" Harry asked, anxiously. "Have you brought him with you?"

"No," Tytros replied, shaking his head. "But I can take you to him."

"Don't trust him," Draco spoke up suddenly, looking fixedly at Harry. "Who knows where he'll really take us…"

Harry stared at Draco for a long moment, before shaking his head.

"I have to go," he said firmly. "There are questions I need answered…and the keeper is the only one who can do that."

"As long as he's taking all of us," Neville spoke up stubbornly.

"You may all come, if you wish it," Tytros said evenly.

"Where are we going?" Mel spoke finally, looking very confused.

"To my home," Tytros replied simply. "If you will all stand near each other, we can be on our way.

Harry immediately took a step closer to Mel, as she did the same and he felt her hand slip into his own. Neville moved in as well and after a brief moment Draco did the same, a skeptical expression on his face.

Tytros moved nearer to them, and brought his arms up, his palms facing outward, and a small red light began to pour from them, forming a bubble around them. As it the sphere was completed, it began to shrink, closing in on them. Harry felt Mel's grip on his hand tighten as she inhaled sharply, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze, feeling that if Tytros were going to try anything, he wouldn't do it while he was in here with them.

The Zlam lowered his hands then, and closed his eyes. The sphere stopped moving and for a moment, nothing happened, when suddenly, Harry felt a jolt and had to put a hand out to keep his balance, as the bubble began to move, at an incredible speed.

Harry looked down, seeing the forest below him, but it was gone in an instant as they flew through the air. Everything became a blur, and he shut his eyes tightly, to keep the dizzy feeling that was rising within him away. He prayed the journey wouldn't be long, but no sooner had the thought crossed his mind then they came to an abrupt halt.

The four students all nearly lost their balance at the sudden change, but remained standing, and looked around to see the sphere was gone. They were in very high up, on what Harry knew had to be a mountain but he had no idea where. There were scatterings of snow here and there, and the ground was hard and dead.

"This way," Tytros spoke hastily, motioning with his hand for the students to follow. The four exchanged uncertain glances, but nobody spoke as they began to walk, Tytros leading the way to a very small crack on a nearby wall of rock.

He lifted his hand to the stone pressing against it firmly, and to Harry's surprise, it moved as easily as if it were a feather. When Tytros lowered his arm, a dark entrance stood before them and he turned to them swiftly.

"Come," he said curtly, not waiting for a reply and stepping through the crevice. Harry glanced at Mel, who was standing just beside him, and she nodded once. He could see she was shivering slightly and realized it was very cold where they were now. Looking over to Neville and Draco, he saw they were waiting for him to move as well.

Taking a deep breath, and glancing around once more at the utterly silent land around them, Harry moved forward and stepped through into the darkness.

Once inside the cavern, Harry's eyes widened in awe of the sight before him. Mel stepped in just behind him, and he heard her gasp of surprise that mirrored his own feeling so well.

The Zlam had created a lush, living environment for themselves in the hollow of the mountain they were in, much like the one Harry had been to during his last encounter with them, there was even what appeared to be sunlight shining down on them, though Harry had no idea how. Birds were chirping and fluttering from tree to tree, and the grass was lush and green.

"This is…amazing…" Neville stammered from behind Harry and he turned briefly to look at him. "How did they do this?"

"I wish I knew," Harry shrugged with a small grin. "If I could even do half the things the Zlam can do…"

"But you can," a deep voice spoke up from beside them and the four turned to see who it was. Harry recognized Forden, the Zlam's leader, standing before him, with Tytros and another Zlam just a pace behind.

"Hello Forden," Harry said cautiously, feeling a twinge of nervousness at his presence. Forden had been quite adamant about ending his life last year, and he couldn't easily brush off the feeling of discomfort that had settled in his stomach now that he was back in the Zlam's presence.

"Hello Harry Potter," Forden replied evenly. "I see Tytros was able to locate you at last. I'm sure you're quite anxious to speak with Xondis, our new keeper, so I will not make you wait long. If you'll just come this way…" he trailed off, gesturing with his hand which direction he wanted them to go.

Harry looked over his shoulder at his friends, before beginning to step forward, holding Mel's hand and leading her as he did so. There was a long, descending stairway just a few feet away, which they went down quickly, each step feeling softer as they moved. When at last they reached the bottom, they found themselves to be fully in the forest atmosphere, which Harry wouldn't have believed to be a replica had he not been outside the cavern first.

Forden, Tytros and the third Zlam, who Harry assumed must be Xondis stepped down just behind them, and Forden nodded to one of the nearby Zlam.

"Take them to the back," he said evenly, "Tytros and Xondis will be joining them momentarily."

The Zlam nodded stiffly and gestured for the students to follow him. They walked in silence for several minutes, across the long field. Harry could even feel a summery breeze against his face and could see it gently lifting Mel's long blonde hair as they moved. When at last they came to a thick, lush willow tree the Zlam came to a halt and pointed at it.

"Wait here," he said curtly, before turning and marching away, not waiting for a reply.

Harry looked after him for a brief moment, before turning back to the tree and moving towards it. Mel went with him, and the two lowered themselves down into the lush grass to wait.

"Well this is just marvelous," Draco commented, sardonically. "We're who knows how many miles from Hogwarts with nobody who knows where we are, surrounded by a group of creatures who wanted you dead and you're just gonna calmly wait for them to get here?"

"That's right Draco," Harry replied casually. "Maybe you should do the same, as standing around and complaining will get you nowhere."

Neville snickered at the remark and smirked at Malfoy as he moved across to where Harry sat, and lowered himself down nearby. Shaking his head in irritation, Draco crossed to them as well, and did the same.

Barely five minutes went by, as the four students sat in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts, when Harry noticed Tytros and the Zlam from before walking up to them.

"I'm glad we were able to find you at last," Tytros spoke first as they walked up to Harry and the others. "I wasn't sure how I would be able to with the Fleshcrawlers all over the school grounds."

"I bet you're the one who set all this up then, aren't you?" Draco spat, snidely. "Just so you could talk to Potter, you…"

"Malfoy!" Harry hissed, glaring darkly at him. "Will you just shut up? He's telling the truth about the Fleshcrawlers, Dumbledore told us that only humans aren't affected by their powers."

"But your Psion powers are…I know, I know…" Malfoy muttered, rolling his eyes.

Harry started to nod and turn away, when suddenly a new thought struck him. During the first two encounters with the Fleshcrawlers, the crystals had been unable to make contact with him in any way, but just a short while earlier, he was able to both see and hear the courage crystal, when three of the creatures were very nearby.

"Your Psionic powers are hindered by the Fleshcrawlers?" Tytros asked, seeming perplexed.

"Yes," Harry nodded, before cocking his head curiously. "You know I'm a Psion?"

"I do," Tytros replied with a curt nod. "I've known since the night your friends tried to cure you of the Pyromus."

"How?" Harry asked. "I only found out a few months ago."

"Well your headmaster has known about it for a great deal longer than that, it seems," Tytros began. "He was quite worried about how the knowledge that you held last year would affect your Psionic abilities. Apparently, he feared that the knowledge might possibly overtake the power a Psion possesses which allows him to live through any situation in which another would surely perish."

"He told you this?" Harry asked, incredulously, feeling the beginnings of resentment that Dumbledore would share this information with Tytros before he would tell Harry, himself.

"No," Tytros replied, a faint grin on his face. "I'm sure you remember the ability of a Zlam when it comes to…thought reading."

"Yes," Harry nodded, having only just remembered as Tytros spoke. "You can hear thoughts when someone is thinking deeply about a particular topic."

"Correct," Tytros nodded. "And that evening, when it appeared as though you would not make it through, your headmaster was thinking of little else, silently praying it would, indeed, come through."

"But it didn't," Harry replied. "You had to save me."

"The knowledge has a strange affect on humans," Tytros shrugged in the slightest. "Be glad you don't have it any longer."

"Believe me, I am," Harry nodded in complete seriousness.

Tytros smirked at Harry's response, before turning to the Zlam standing beside him.

"This is Xondis, our new keeper," he said evenly. "Forden has granted us a small amount of time in which you can ask any questions you may have, before I must bring you back."

Harry nodded eagerly, shifting his gaze to look at Xondis.

"Hello," he began, unsure how to start.

"As Tytros said," Xondis replied curtly, "we have little time. I suggest you ask what you need to as quickly as possible."

Harry nodded again, getting a most unwelcome feeling from the new keeper, but made no comment about it.

"Alright," he began again. "Can you tell me what exactly the spell that Wormtail used on Voldemort at the beginning of last summer was for?"

"The Rejuvenation," Xondis began. "He needed to extract your blood from his being, as it was affecting him negatively, yes?" he asked, continuing without waiting for a reply. "He also knew at that time that you were a Psion. He was transforming his life force, most likely to be able to take your ability and make it his own. He knows that he must kill you in order to claim your powers, but he would have been unable to just take them by that alone."

"Because of the defender?" Harry asked, uncertainly. He noticed Tytros give him a bewildered look before Xondis began speaking again, and he turned his attention back to the keeper.

"No," he said curtly. "Because the first Psion ever born was a Faerunian. Each person that has ever been one can trace his or her bloodlines back there, no matter how far it may go. Before the ministry became fearful of the inhabitants of Faerun, they were allowed to come and go in the wizarding world as they pleased, and some of them chose to stay and live their lives among the humans. By the time the two realms were forcefully separated, too many of the original Faerunians had been living among the humans to get rid of them all, so the ministry allowed them to stay. The older ones, for the most part, had all but passed away, but many of them had, through the course of nature, come to live with humans…and breed with them. While you are born of two humans, Harry, you have Faerunian blood in you, one of your parents is a descendent of Faerun."

"But…what does that have to do with Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"Voldemort wants your abilities," Xondis spoke quickly. "But as he has no Faerunian blood in him, it is most impossible for him to take them from you. He had hoped by taking some of your blood, it would enable him to do exactly as he wished, but instead it merely acted as a virus, a deadly disease which was slowly spreading through him, killing him. The spell Wormtail used was not to extract your blood, but to transform his body to let it accept your blood as if it were his own. The spell was entirely successful, and he not only has Faerunian blood in him, but it is belonging to the Psion whom he wishes to steal the powers from. If he succeeds in killing you, the crystals will accept him without fail, and he will possess all the strength and power he desires."

Harry could feel his stomach turning sickeningly slow. This was worse than he thought it would be.

"What about Wormtail?" Harry asked quietly. "I know that the spell killed him…but I saw him as a ghost. He couldn't seem to get far from wherever I happened to be…and then one day he just vanished. I haven't heard from him in months."

"Wormtail would have been unable to make it far from your location, correct," Xondis began. "But the moment the knowledge was extracted from his body that hold would be broken immediately."

"So, I wouldn't be able to see him anymore?" Harry asked.

"No you'd still be able to see him," Xondis replied, impatiently. "But he would not be confined to the same area as you. He could wander feely as he chose."

"You must've gained control of the knowledge in October, right?" Harry asked. "I saw him for the last time during that month."

"Then I would assume that is most likely correct," Xondis said evenly. "We do not keep track of time in the same manner as you."

"I can't believe Wormtail would just take off like that," Harry mused, more to himself. "I mean, I know he didn't want to hang around longer than he had to…but I would think he might at least tell me, knowing I would believe he was still around."

"Are you kidding?" Draco spoke up snidely. "Peter was the biggest coward I've ever met. Of course he would…the second the opportunity arose I bet he couldn't get out of the school fast enough."

"And somehow it doesn't surprise me that you've met him," Harry replied, shaking his head.

"I don't see why it would," Draco snapped. "Though I'd much rather I hadn't ever met him."

"If you two are finished," Xondis cut in loudly. "There is not much time left, so I suggest you use it wisely, unless you have no further questions."

"Sorry," Harry replied quietly, while Draco merely looked away, an arrogant expression on his face.

"What else did you need answered?" Xondis asked, in a demanding tone. Harry's mind raced to think of what else he needed from the Zlam, but all he could think of was Wormtail. Even though it was quite easy to believe he would simply take off without a trace, it didn't feel right. He tried to shake the thought from his head, however, needing to focus on the matter at hand, when Tytros spoke up.

"There is something I need to ask you, Harry," he said evenly.

"What is it?" Harry asked, curiously.

"When Xondis was telling you of the spell, you mentioned the defender as the one that would be stopping him from getting your powers."

"Right," Harry nodded, noticing the dark look in Malfoy's eyes as his title was mentioned. "I was told that the defender's life was linked to mine…I can't die while he's alive."

Tytros and Xondis exchanged bewildered expressions and Harry looked on, anxiously.

"Is…is something wrong?" he asked, hesitantly.

"I should think so," Tytros nodded seriously. "You know that a Psion has both a defender and a guardian, yes?"

"I know," Harry nodded, gesturing to the two students across from him. "Neville is the guardian and Draco is the defender."

"And what do you know of their powers?" Tytros pressed.

"I know that Neville has the ability to…track me, basically. He can find me no matter where I might be. Draco knows when I'm in pain, because he feels it too, and if he's alive then I can't be killed," Harry explained quickly. "Why?"

Tytros looked at him for a long moment, before replying slowly.

"Harry, it is true that the guardian can find you and the defender knows when you're in pain…but his life is not linked to your own."

"But Cole said it was," Harry replied stubbornly, feeling that his admittedly strange instructor would know more about this from having done it for thousands of years than a Zlam would, no matter how much of this information was part of their knowledge.

"Harry," Xondis spoke up bluntly, "What you were told is inaccurate."

"Wait, so I don't have to die for him to be killed?" Draco asked, sounding happier than Harry could honestly remember ever hearing him sound.

"Correct," Xondis nodded, and Malfoy let out a triumphant laugh before the Zlam continued. "The life link is not from Psion to defender…it is from Psion to guardian."

"What?" Harry and Neville cried in unison.

"There must be a mistake!" Harry said, holding his hands out in front of him.

"Cole told us that the link was from Harry to Draco," Neville added earnestly. "Why would he lie about that?"

"Yes, are you sure you're not mistaken?" Harry asked.

"I am positive," Xondis replied in measured syllables.

"Who is this Cole person you keep talking about?" Tytros asked curiously. "What ever happened to Severus?"

"Professor Snape?" Harry asked in shock and confusion. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Weren't the bloodlines explained to you?" Xondis asked impatiently.

"No," Harry said weakly, shaking his head ever so faintly.

Xondis rolled his eyes in annoyance as Tytros sighed heavily.

"Harry, I don't know who this Cole person is, but he has been telling you half-truths, it seems. He is not the one who should be training you. Severus Snape is your Psionic instructor…why hasn't he said anything about this to you?"

Harry stared at Tytros in shock, barely able to find his voice to reply.

"Snape's in a coma," he whispered.

"Since when?" Tytros asked.

Harry closed his eyes as he remembered the night Cho died, and Voldemort had tried to kill him. Gazten had sent Neville to save him and it had worked. The next morning is when everything had been explained to him…by a stranger who he thought he could trust…

"Since the night Cole arrived," Harry answered, feeling a cold sickness in the pit of his stomach. He remembered Dumbledore telling him Cole had arrived that evening, and later when he'd asked about Snape, he'd found it was the same night he'd gone into his coma, after his mysterious illness.

"Well it seems this Cole is not exactly trustworthy," Xondis spoke quietly. "He got Snape out of the way to take his place."

"But why?" Harry asked. "He's still been training me…and working with Draco. He seems to only want to help us!"

"He's shown you everything else then?" Tytros asked. "Besides lying about your life link, he's completed your training with the crystals?"

"Well…no," Harry replied. "He told me I had to work with one a week until I'd gone through all fourteen of them, because if I'd used them all at once they would over power me…or something. It almost happened once, actually…but he saved me…" Harry trailed off as he saw the shock and bewilderment on the two Zlams' faces.

"He stopped you from using the crystals all at once?" Tytros asked slowly.

"Like I said," Harry replied. "They tried to over-power…"

"He lied," Xondis spoke up sharply.

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "It's true! I had all the stones at the same time…only once…and I couldn't hear anyone at all…"

"Of course you couldn't," Xondis said hastily. "And if your true instructor had been present he could have told you that was going to happen!"

"Wait…what do you mean?" Harry asked, his hands shaking slightly. He felt nauseous and scared from all he was being told. "I'm supposed to be using all the crystals at once?"

"Exactly," Xondis said impatiently. "What else would you do with all of them? The only way you'll learn your powers is to use them!"

"Why would Cole lie?" Neville spoke up quietly. "Why would he show Harry how to use some of his powers but not all of them? Why would he want Snape out of the way?"

"I don't know," Tytros replied, shaking his head slowly. "But it does not seem as if his intentions are good."

Harry looked down at his hands, trying to comprehend all that he was being told. He didn't know who to trust. Dumbledore had told him he'd known Cole for many years…and that he was a friend. However, from what he was hearing now, it seemed as if Cole were anything but.

Looking up again, he stared fixedly at Tytros for a brief moment, before asking his next question.

"Do you know anything about the six entities?"

"What do you need to know?" Tytros replied.

"We know they're working with Voldemort," Harry spoke quietly. "To help him find the defender…eh…I mean…" he paused, shaking his head, before going on. "Voldemort believes he has to find the defender, he told me so as I was standing right before him…but I guess they're really looking for the guardian…"

"So Saaneeraa has sided with the dark lord then?" Xondis asked.

"And the others as well," Harry nodded.

"Well of course they would, if Saaneeraa has done this, the others must follow," Xondis said matter-of-factly.

"But…I thought…" Harry stammered, feeling confused again. "I was told they didn't get along…"

"Well, they don't," Tytros replied. "The five lower entities, that is. Saaneeraa is the force behind them, however. They must listen to her…and obey."

Harry nodded, feeling more frustrated with each passing moment.

"I suppose you were told otherwise?" Tytros asked, knowingly.

"I was told they all fought amongst each other…Saaneeraa included," Harry replied flatly.

"Who told you that?" Tytros asked.

"Allison…Cole's niece," Harry replied.

"Cole's niece?" Xondis asked, skeptically. "So this person claiming to be your instructor brought help with him?"

"Yes," Harry nodded.

"Another sign that he is not the real trainer," Xondis replied stiffly.

"Well how is it that Snape is the true instructor then?" Harry asked suddenly. "Did he know about any of this?"

"He would have known as much as you did to begin with. It all goes back to the bloodlines," Xondis replied.

"Well what are the bloodlines then?" Harry asked.

"When you were told about your powers, by Cole I'm assuming," Xondis began, "did he tell you how you came to be a Psion?"

"He just said you never knew who was going to be one…but that the Psion, defender and guardian were all born on the same day…and that basically decided it."

Tytros and Xondis exchanged another skeptical glance, looking almost ready to laugh.

"No I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," Tytros explained gently. "There are four bloodlines for each of the four stations: Psion, defender, guardian and instructor. Now it's true that the three younger stations will be born on the same day, but the fact that they are is pre-determined. Your blood, your heritage decided your station."

"Why would Cole not tell us that?" Neville asked.

"Probably because he'd already told us he'd been doing this for five thousand years," Harry said flatly. "From what it sounds like, each Psion has a different instructor."

"Correct," Xondis nodded. "Cole could very well have been an instructor for a past Psion, but he is certainly not yours."

"Well if he was a past instructor," Malfoy spoke up hastily. "Then why does he not know what he's talking about?"

"Or if he does, why is he lying?" Harry added.

Before anyone else could speak, however, a new voice entered the conversation.

"I'm afraid your time is up," Forden spoke firmly. "Tytros, please bring them back to their school…now."

Tytros nodded immediately and turned to the four students who were already beginning to stand.

"Thank you," Harry said, looking at the three Zlam before him. "I appreciate you doing this for us."

"Just don't expect anything further," Forden said with curt nod. "We have helped you as much as we're going to. I will allow no further interaction between my people and yours."

Harry nodded, having no response for this statement, and began to follow Tytros who motioned for them to follow him.

The trip back to the school grounds was much easier knowing what it was going to feel like and in no time at all, they were back in the forbidden forest. Tytros could take them no closer, as he could still feel the presence of the Fleshcrawlers, but he took them as near to Hogwarts as possible.

The four students wasted no time at all, without any hesitation they started off through the woods, back towards the school. They needed to speak with someone…anyone…to tell them of what they'd learned. Harry didn't know how they were going to figure this out, but they had to get on it as soon as possible.

Just under half an hour later, they reached the edge of the forest, and sprinted across the empty grounds to the school entrance, taking no notice of the utter stillness in the air.

Racing up the steps the four of them burst through the double doors, pausing for a just a moment.

"Headmaster's office?" Neville asked, expectantly.

"Yes," Harry nodded once, and the four again set off, up the long corridor.

They barely slowed down as they turned the corners, racing from hall to hall, and nearly collided with someone coming at them from the other direction who happened to be rounding that particular corner.

"Harry!" Remus cried when he'd realized who'd nearly run him over. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Remus…we have to get to Professor Dumbledore now!" he said, breathlessly.

"What's happened?" Remus asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Where have you been all morning?"

"We've been with Tytros," Harry explained hastily as Remus' eyes widened. "He answered so many questions…but there's still so much…we just have to tell the headmaster…"

"Alright, we will," Remus spoke in a calm voice. "I need you two to go down to your common room, however," he said, looking to Draco and Mel. "All students have been sent to their dorms and you need to check in."

"But…what about," Mel began.

"No arguments about this," Remus said firmly. "I want you both to get down there with the rest of your house, everything will be explained later."

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked suddenly, noticing Remus seemed tense.

"Possibly," Remus replied quietly, nodding his head once. He waited for Draco and Mel to start on their way downstairs, before turning back to Harry and Neville. "Alright you two, let's go."

"Are we going to see Dumbledore?" Neville asked, noticing the strange behavior as well.

"Yes," Remus nodded.

"Why did you have to send Draco and Mel away?" Harry asked.

"Draco needs to be in his dorm where there is a guard stationed," Remus replied. "We know Voldemort will go for him first if he knows he's the defender…"

"Wait…Voldemort would go for him…what's going on?" Harry asked, apprehensively.

"We have found that Voldemort might try an attack on the school," Remus spoke quietly, quickening his pace. "If that's true we need to protect the defender if only to…"

"But Remus, wait!" Harry said, coming to a halt. "We've only just found out…Draco's life isn't linked to mine…Neville's is!"

"What?" Remus asked, uncertainly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly that," Harry replied quickly. "Neville is the one Voldemort would have to go through to get to me…not Voldemort."

"How did you find this out?" Remus asked in disbelief.

"Tytros," Harry replied simply. "He told us much more too…we have to speak with Dumbledore."

Remus simply stared at Harry for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face, before he spoke again.

"So what we were told…it was all a lie?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Cole lied about that…and about the crystals…"

"The crystals?" Remus said in shock. "Do you have any of them with you now?"

Harry hung his head for a moment, knowing he wasn't supposed to have been using any of the stones, but nodded slowly.

"Call it back now," Remus said firmly.

"Okay…why?" Harry replied.

"If he lied about so much I don't want you to use the crystals any more until we know what's going on."

Harry nodded and immediately called the crystal back, watching as it formed once more into a gem and he grasped it in his hand.

"There," Harry said, holding up the stone to show Remus what he'd done, only to see his instructor reach forward and rip it from his grasp.

"Hey…Remus!" Harry yelled in shock and confusion. "What are you…?"

"Here you go, Lucius," Remus called out, looking away from Harry, just up the hall behind them. Harry and Neville both spun as Remus tossed the stone up the corridor, into Lucius Malfoy's waiting hands.

"Hello Potter," Malfoy sneered at Harry, turning the gem over in his hands, admiring it.

Harry could only feel hot anger as he stared at Malfoy, turning as he heard movement behind him. Remus was no longer there, but in his place…was a shapeshifter. He gritted his teeth in frustration, angry at himself for not realizing what was happening sooner. He knew Remus was acting strange, but had assumed it was because of what was happening with Voldemort.

"How did you get out?" Harry asked icily, turning back to Lucius.

"My master always repays his loyal servants," Malfoy replied. "And I could offer him the defender. But thanks to you…I know I don't have to kill my own son."

"But you would have," Harry snapped. "I don't think you would've given it a second thought."

"Who knows," Lucius shrugged, his eyes falling darkly on Neville, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Harry began to slip his hand slowly towards his pocket, when Lucius raised his arm suddenly.

"Stop right there, Potter!" he called. Harry had no choice but to do as he asked, as Lucius' wand was trained on him. "Keep your hands up." Harry lifted his hands slowly and felt the shapeshifter reach into his pocket, pulling out his wand, before doing the same to Neville."

"I suppose there's no point in wasting any time then," Lucius continued pleasantly, as Harry and Neville stood before him, unarmed. "My master will be so pleased."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked, defiantly.

"Oh…just wait," Lucius replied darkly. "You'll see."

Before Harry could utter another word, Lucius had yelled out his curse, and Harry was out before he hit the floor, seeing nothing but black.


	27. Chapter 27

Harry had no idea how long he'd been out, but as he started to come to, the first thing he felt was a throbbing headache. Letting out a low moan, Harry blinked his eyes slowly, dimly aware that he was not laying down, but rather leaning against something. Straightening out his legs, Harry forced himself into a standing position, all of his muscles aching as he did so, and it was then he finally realized his movement was restricted, as his wrists were in shackles just above him.

Trying not to panic, Harry pulled at the chains that were driven into the wall above him, holding him to it tightly. The shackles were too tight around his wrists, and there was no chance that he'd ever be able to slip through them. Pausing in his efforts for a brief moment, Harry began to look around, to see if he could figure out where he was, when he heard his name.

"Harry…are you alright?"

"Remus!" Harry cried anxiously, looking across the room to see his friend in the same predicament as he, on the opposite wall. "I'm fine…where are we?"

"We're in Hogwarts," Remus replied gravely. "In one of the dungeon cells…deeper in the school than any student is ever allowed to go."

"Are you alright? What happened?" Harry asked, glancing around and finding they were the only two in the room.

"Voldemort sent some of his followers for Lucius," Remus began, "I happened to be in the room when they arrived. I tried to fight them off, but there were too many…" he trailed off, shaking his head in disgust.

"Don't blame yourself," Harry said quietly. "There's nothing you could have done…you were outnumbered."

Remus nodded faintly, seeming entirely unconvinced. Harry sighed inaudibly, before asking his next question.

"Did we know they were coming? Was there any warning?"

"No," Remus replied, shaking his head. "I don't know if the ones I saw was all of them, or if there are more elsewhere in the school. They were just there all of a sudden…I don't know how they knew where to look…but they were able to find Lucius and set him free…"

"So we don't know if the others are alright then?" Harry asked, worriedly.

"Unfortunately no," Remus replied grimly. He looked up at the chains around his wrists, struggling against them for a brief moment, before leaning back against the wall with a thump. "They could be in another cell down here…or they could be completely unaware of the intruders' presence. I just hope they can figure out what's going on before I was able to…" he trailed off, looking up at Harry. "Is Lucius the one who found you, or was it someone else?"

"It was Lucius," Harry replied darkly, feeling anger simmering within him once more. "And a shapeshifter disguised as you…I was so stupid not to realize what was happening…"

"No you weren't," Remus replied. "They can be very convincing, the shapeshifters, especially when you're mind is occupied with many other important matters…you don't catch onto things as fast as you usually would. With all that's going on with you lately, I'm sure that worrying about shapeshifters again was not top on your list."

Harry nodded slowly, his mind drifting back to Lucius…and Neville. His stomach knotted in worry over what Malfoy would do to his friend…now that he knew the truth. Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut until they'd gotten to Dumbledore? If Neville died, it was Harry's fault for giving him straight to Malfoy the moment they'd arrived.

He was stirred out of his thoughts, however, as the door to the cell swung open harshly, and none other than Lucius Malfoy strode confidently into the room.

"Comfortable?" he asked wickedly, grinning from Harry to Remus, an air of excitement about him.

"Stuff it Malfoy," Remus spat at him. "You're going to wish you'd never heard the name of Voldemort before this day is through."

"Empty threats, Lupin dear…they just don't become you," Lucius replied shaking his head and grinning. "And you will address my master as Lord Voldemort…for he is far superior than the likes of a half-wit, no-good wizard such as you."

"Remus is twice the wizard you are!" Harry yelled, hatefully, jumping to his friend's defense. "You could never hope to be as good as him!"

"You are young," Lucius spoke darkly, turning his gaze upon Harry. "And have no idea what you're talking about. Sadly, however, you will not live long enough to be shown the truth. Your friends are nothing but weak cowards, and today they will all perish under my Lord. You, however, will not be viewing any of this…" he trailed off, raising his right hand in front of him and twirling something small between his fingers.

Harry leaned forward slightly, and recognized the item to be a flask, filled with a dark brown liquid. He looked up sharply at Malfoy, assuming the potion would be for him, but Lucius' gaze was on Remus. After a moment's hesitation, Lucius began stepping slowly across the cell, smiling wickedly at Lupin.

Harry watched helplessly as Lucius came to a halt, barely a foot from Remus, as they glared at one another.

"Do you know what this is?" Lucius asked, tauntingly, holding up the vile so Lupin could see it fully.

Harry could see the panic in Remus' eyes, who looked from the flask, to Harry and back to Lucius.

"Yes," he spoke through gritted teeth. "And if you think I'm drinking it you're off your gourd."

"Oh believe me…you'll have every last drop," Lucius hissed menacingly. "It was made especially for you, so let's not be so ungrateful, shall we?"

Lucius lifted the vile towards Remus, who instinctively pulled down on the chains, trying to push it away. He turned his face away as the flask neared him, trying to block his head with his arms.

"This childish behavior just won't do," Lucius said impatiently, raising his left hand and forcing one of Remus' arms away. He again moved the flask closer, but Lupin wasn't having any of it. Refusing to give in, he grabbed hold of the chains above him tightly as he backed into the wall, and in the next instant, he'd used them to pull himself up, kicking out forcefully at Lucius. The blow struck Malfoy in his stomach, and he stumbled backwards, doubling over in pain and groaning, but he held fast to the vile.

"Nott! Goyle! Get in here!" Lucius called out, between gasps to catch his breath. Harry looked up to see two death eaters enter the room and cross hastily to Malfoy's side.

"Hold him," Lucius spat, drawing himself back up into a straight stance and glaring at Remus, who was smirking at him, despite the fact that he still appeared nervous. The two nodded obediently and wasted no time in crossing to where Remus stood. They took hold of his arms roughly, forcing them back against the cold, hard wall, before they each brought one of their heavy boots down painfully on Remus' feet.

Harry struggled against the chains that held him, but they wouldn't give. He was forced to stand by watching, while his friend clenched his teeth in pain, glaring hatefully at their enemy.

"You never could do things the easy way, could you Lupin?" Lucius spat, once he was sure Remus was held securely by his two cohorts.

"Never for you Malfoy," Remus snarled back.

Lucius nodded faintly, stepping back towards Remus once more, and stopping just inches from his face. The two stared at each other darkly for a long moment, when suddenly Lucius took a half step back, and slammed his fist into Remus' gut without warning.

"Remus!" Harry couldn't stop himself from yelling as his friend began to gasp for air, unable to move as he was still being held in place. Harry turned his angry gaze on Lucius, who was paying him no mind, as he stood by, clearly enjoying Remus' reaction.

"You dirty coward!" Harry screamed at him.

"Shut your mouth, boy," Lucius hissed at him, his eyes flashing dangerously before he turned his gaze on Lupin once more. "As much fun as I'd have doing this all day, I have an urgent matter which I must attend to." He raised the flask again, stepping so close to Remus there was barely an inch between them. Harry could see his friend's eyes were watering in pain as he tried to turn his head away, but was too weak at the moment to fight. Lucius gripped Remus' jaw, forcing it open, and poured the liquid down his throat. Remus began to choke instantly, trying to stop himself from consuming any of the potion, but Lucius closed his mouth with a snap and held his hand there until the fit subsided, and he was sure the liquid was fully swallowed.

Smiling triumphantly, Malfoy nodded to the death eaters once, and they instantly released their hold on Remus, who slumped against the wall, gasping. Lucius reached his hand into his pocket, bringing out his wand and Harry felt his heart stop as the death eater pointed it at Remus, but a moment later, the shackles around his wrists snapped open, and Lupin crumpled fully to the floor, shaking from exhaustion.

Harry looked up at Lucius, his expression a mixture of hate and confusion, but Malfoy merely smirked back at him.

"I leave you both now," Malfoy spoke darkly as the other two death eaters exited the cell. "Lord Voldemort is coming, and I must have Mr. Longbottom ready…" he trailed off as he stalked across the room, pausing once at the entrance and glaring back in at them, before turning abruptly and slamming door behind him.

Harry heard the lock slide forcefully into place with a resonating bang, and the sound of Malfoy's measured footsteps growing fainter, before he was left with nothing except the darkness…and Remus' shallow gasps.

"Remus?" Harry called out, his voice full of concern and worry. "Are you alright?" he asked. For a long moment there was no reply. He could hear his friend's breathing but that was all. "Remus, please answer me if you can hear me!" he called out again, pushing down the dread that was building within him. He could do nothing to help his friend, still securely chained to the wall, unable to move more than a foot from it.

"Harry…" Remus' faint whisper floated up to him.

"Remus!" Harry replied, relieved that he'd gotten any response. "What did he give you? Can you stand? Will you be alright?" He squinted his eyes in the dim room, fixed on Lupin's hunched, quivering form, not having the slightest clue how to get him help.

"Harry you have to…" Remus began, straining to push himself into an upright position as he spoke. "You can't let me do anything…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked apprehensively, shifting his weight from one foot to the other nervously. "What was that potion for?"

"I'm…it will make me…transform," Remus spoke, between long breaths.

"What?" Harry cried, feeling a sharp stab of panic. "But it's the middle of the day! How can it…?"

"Harry we don't have time to argue," Remus spoke, forcing his voice to remain steady, but gasping again as he finished speaking. He looked down for a moment, seeming to collect himself, before glancing back up to meet Harry's frightened gaze.

"It won't take long for the potion to…to do its job," he began slowly. "I can already feel the change happening…"

"What can we do?" Harry asked, suddenly horribly aware of the cold steel clamped over his wrists. He had no way to defend himself in the slightest.

"Use your powers," Remus said fiercely, giving Harry a penetrating stare. "Do whatever you have to so that…"

"Remus, no," Harry interrupted, shaking his head emphatically. "You don't understand…I barely know how to use the crystals at all…and I don't have any of them here even if I did know!"

"You've used them before…when…when they weren't…" Remus stammered, his breathing becoming heavier and more forced.

"I wasn't able to control it though," Harry said, feeling a chill run up his spine as the full realization of this situation sunk in…and what Remus was truly asking of him. "Besides," he continued in grim determination, "I would never use it to hurt you…I don't care what reason I might have…"

"Harry…you have to do whatever it takes!" Remus tried to shout, but it came out as a strangled cry, he doubled over in agony at the last word, and Harry felt his stomach twisting at the sight. Remus' very bones seemed to be shifting, slowly and painfully, his face was stretching outwards and his hands were becoming gnarled.

Harry watched as Remus' back arched skywards and could hear his clothes ripping…shredding…as the transformation continued on relentlessly. Harry wanted to shut his eyes, to block out the horrifying vision, but was unable to tear his gaze away. Several agonizingly long minutes passed and thick, brown fur had begun to cover Remus' body. When the transformation was nearly complete, he let out a tortured scream that was quickly strangled…before becoming a low, predatory growl.

Harry could feel his heart racing in his chest; the thumping echoing back to him in his ears so loudly he felt his head would burst. He listened intently as the sounds of long nails clicked against the hard stone floor, pacing back and forth in front of him threateningly.

Trying frantically to calm his breathing, to think…Harry could barely concentrate as he heard Remus snarling faintly. He could see the werewolf's shining eyes in the darkness, fixed hungrily on his own, and felt the now familiar rush of energy begin to fill him.

"No," Harry thought forcefully, sweat breaking out across his forehead. "I won't…I will never hurt Remus." Harry tried intensely to concentrate his energy on anything else, glancing at once above him to the chains holding him to the wall.

"Please…" he muttered fervently as he stared at the shackles, hearing Remus suddenly let out a fierce growl, before the sound of running feet came through. Harry barely had time to register what was happening, before he felt a searing flash of pain, as Remus' jaws ripped agonizingly into his leg.

Harry pulled on the chains with all his weight, and gritted his teeth, unable to fully stifle the anguished cry that escaped him. The pain in his leg was so intense he felt for a moment that he might black out, but as his vision swam in and out before him, he forced himself to remain conscious.

Tears of agony ran down his face as he twisted on the spot, trying to free himself from Remus' vice-like hold, but it only caused another excruciating jolt to run through him, as his skin and muscles were torn and shredded through the wolf's razor-sharp teeth.

Able to bear it no longer, Harry swung out with his free leg, kicking Remus square in the chest. He heard the tortured yelp of pain as the vicious animal was knocked backwards, but was back on his feet in a flash, his eyes gleaming hatefully at Harry as he began to pace in front of him once more.

Breathing heavy, sweat stinging his eyes, Harry didn't dare look down at the gaping wound he knew would be there. He knew it had to be bad, as he could barely feel his leg anymore, and it certainly wasn't responding when he tried to move it. The energy flowing within him was positively howling to be released, but he held it in. He knew from the past that when he used his powers without the crystals, there was little control. If he could somehow center his energy on escaping it would be one thing, but there was a very real possibility that he could seriously injure Remus…or worse. Harry didn't care how much pain he was in…he would not be the cause of someone else's death.

Remus was setting up to lunge again; Harry could see it in the animal's dark glare. He grasped the chains above him to hold himself steady, briefly wondering if Neville were still alive. If he were, then Harry could still live through this…if anyone knew where he was to get him out…

Remus attacked without warning, this time jumping into the air as he did so. Harry barely had the time to cover his face as he felt the jagged teeth penetrate his skin once more, this time on his upper arm. The wolf's paws slammed forcefully against his chest as he wrenched and pulled at Harry's arm. Harry was trying to push him away, to kick him; anything…but it was in vain. Even when he succeeded in taking Remus' feet out from under him, it only caused him greater suffering, as the wolf would cling to his arm by his jaws, refusing to release his hold this time, seeming to expect the blows.

All Harry could do was try to keep his arms in front of his face…and his neck. He knew what Remus had been going for in this attack and that he wouldn't stop until he'd torn Harry's throat out. His strength was fading fast however, and he could feel the blood running freely from his wounds, drenching his clothes…he could even taste it in his throat. The grizzled ripping sounds of Remus' gnashing teeth against his bones was sickening him to the point that he couldn't take it any longer.

Shaking with anguished exhaustion and wanting nothing more than to give in, Harry was prepared to do just that, when he felt Remus release his hold suddenly. Not daring to look at first, Harry waited for the next attack that was sure to come, as he heard the vicious snarl the wolf was letting out, but when nothing came after a moment more, Harry dared to move his arms slightly, to see what was happening.

The door to the cell was open and standing in the middle of the room was Allison, one of her arms held up in front of her, the palm facing out. Remus hung by an invisible force mere inches from her, struggling fiercely against the power that held him there.

Harry didn't know what to say, he stared at Allison, straining to keep his eyes open as black spots were fading in and out of his vision, but immensely relieved that the torture had finally stopped.

"Are you alright?" Allison asked evenly, giving Harry a penetrating stare.

"I'm alive," Harry croaked, his voice barely more than a whisper. Allison made no reply, but turned away from Harry to look back at Remus. She bent her arm towards her and the wolf's floating form followed, looking anxious at the prospect of a new victim. Just as he neared her, however, Allison flung her arm out forcefully, a shock of black energy running through her body as she did so. Remus flew through the air at such a speed Harry could only see a streak of fur, until he collided with the far wall, a sickening crunching sound filling the air for a fleeting second, before he slumped limply to the cold, dark floor.

Harry stared at his friend's still form in horror, as a pool of blood began to slowly form around the wolf's head, before glaring up at Allison.

"Why did you do that?" he rasped, his breathing still coming in heavy gasps.

"He was going to kill you," Allison said emotionlessly as she crossed the room to where Harry was chained.

"But…but it's…he's Remus!" he managed to get out, thinking maybe Allison might not have been aware. She was a healer, surely she could help him…"

"I know," Allison replied curtly, her eyes boring into Harry's own as she lifter her hands to his wrists. He glanced up to see her run both of her index fingers along the edge of the shackles, and they sprang open immediately.

Harry promptly collapsed to the floor, having no strength left to stand. His hands slapped against the cold stones and his breathing was echoing in his ears; he had to stifle a cry of agony, feeling immense pain shoot through his body from the wounds on his arm and leg.

Glancing up through his blurry vision, Harry strained to focus on Remus…he couldn't tell if he was breathing…

"He's alive," Allison spoke harshly. "Now get up."

"We have to help him," Harry said quietly, remaining still.

"I said get up," Allison repeated coldly.

Harry glared up at her furiously. How could she be so cruel? Remus was seriously injured…and there was so much blood.

"I suggest you start worrying about yourself for once," Allison breathed as she leant down and roughly took hold of Harry's arm, wrenching him forcefully to his feet. He had to shift his weight to his uninjured leg, as his other one was entirely unable to support him at the moment, and shaking quite badly. There was blood forming a thin puddle on the floor beneath his leg, and he could feel a steady flow of it coming from the wound on his arm as well.

"Let's go," Allison said curtly, nodding towards the door.

"Not without Remus," Harry spoke, his eyes flashing defiantly.

"If you don't start moving I'll kill him," Allison said in a deathly quiet tone. "I did you a favor by letting him live, though I'm sure he won't want to for long, after he remembers what he just did to you…" she trailed off, a faint smirk touching her lips.

Harry glared at her angrily, becoming completely oblivious to the pain he was feeling. He couldn't hold himself back before asking his next question.

"You're working for Saaneeraa…aren't you?" he spat fiercely.

"No, you fool," Allison replied, a wicked smile now on her face. "I am Saaneeraa."

Before Harry could utter a word in reply, she grabbed him roughly by his injured arm, squeezing it so hard his eyes watered. He could barely see as she dragged him through the door, leaving Remus behind and starting up the dank, sinister corridor.

Harry didn't speak for the duration of their walk. Saaneeraa would not let go of his arm as she strode through the halls and it was taking all of his strength just to keep up with her, so she wasn't fully dragging him to their destination.

Harry noticed that they seemed to be going deeper into the dungeons as he wasn't recognizing anything they passed, and when they went down one last corridor that had a dead end, Harry saw a metal door on the wall to their right just as Saaneeraa reached out for it, pushing it open forcefully and throwing him inside.

Catching hold of a thick backed chair was the only way Harry was able to remain standing, as his leg was threatening to give out beneath him. He looked up just in time to see Saaneeraa step into the room, slamming it shut behind her. They were thrown into complete darkness for a matter of seconds, when all at once every candle in the room ignited at once, casting an eerie glow over everything.

"We shouldn't be waiting too long," Saaneeraa spoke emotionlessly as she stalked across the room, flinging herself almost casually into a faded armchair, dust stirring up around her the moment it was disturbed.

Harry glared darkly at her, thoughts racing through his mind so fast he could barely keep track of them.

"Why don't you sit down…get off that leg?" Saaneeraa asked with an all too pleasant smile as she nodded at Harry's shaking leg.

"I'm sure you care, too," Harry spat as he tightened his grip on the hard back of the stiff, wooden chair, bringing himself around to the front of it and lowering himself down. It was a huge relief to let the weight off his leg and he leant back in exhaustion, sweat dripping down the sides of his face.

He looked around the room briefly, realizing it wasn't an office, but more of a storage closet. Everything in here seemed to be either very old, or very broken. Their were desks, chairs, cabinets, tables and many other small trinkets and decorations, but he didn't care about any of that right now. Bringing his gaze back around, he fixed Saaneeraa with a steady glare.

"Why?" he asked darkly. "Why did you bother saving me just now? Why not let Remus have me…it's what you want, isn't it?"

"To have you killed by a werewolf? Hell no," Saaneeraa replied with a wave of her hand. "That fool, Lucius nearly ruined everything tonight," she continued, a quiet anger in her voice.

"What does it matter how it happens?" Harry asked.

"Because your powers can't be taken by someone if you're already dead," Saaneeraa replied. "The one who kills you gets them…unless they're not of a Faerunian bloodline. Then nobody gets them."

"Which is why Voldemort had Wormtail perform that spell on him," Harry added.

"Right," Saaneeraa replied slowly. "You've done your homework, it seems."

Harry glared back at her smugly, deciding not to mention Tytros and the Zlam. He couldn't betray them after all the help they'd just given him, though he'd made a big mess of things now…

"In any case," Saaneeraa continued, brushing him off, "if Remus had killed you, your powers would have been lost to anyone else forever. Lucius obviously didn't realize what he was doing, stupid man. I can't believe he's lived this long. You would think someone would have done him in by now, out of sheer irritation alone…" she trailed off, rolling her eyes.

"So what then…Lucius just found you to tell you what he'd done?" Harry asked, as another thought struck him. "I guess your coma was all just a ploy too…" he trailed off, glaring fixedly at her.

"Of course it was," Saaneeraa replied, sounding bored.

"And Cole?" Harry pressed. "Is he in this with you?"

"Indeed," Saaneeraa smirked. "Cole doesn't exist anymore, he did at one time…but now his body is merely a disguise for Draam."

"You killed him?" Harry asked, disgusted.

"No, Draam did," Saaneeraa replied curtly. "Do you remember nothing of what I told you about the entities?" she asked, her tone that of a mother berating her child. "The only way in which Draam can change forms, is to take that being's life."

"Well seeing as how you've lied about so many things," Harry shot back, defiantly, "I can't really rely on what you've told me in the past being the truth now, can I?"

"Touché," Allison nodded, a small grin touching her lips. "Well what I told you about the entities was the truth…"

"Except for the fact that the other five serve you…I believe you left that out," Harry cut in, snidely.

"There were certain things we couldn't tell you," Saaneeraa shrugged, "so we only let you know just enough to ease your concerns…to make you believe we were on your side."

"Why though?" Harry asked. "Why make us all believe you were here to help…if you've known from the very first that I was the Psion…then wouldn't Voldemort want you to…"

"Voldemort came to me asking for help," Saaneeraa cut him off. "He explained what had happened since his…rebirth, and exactly what he wanted. I'd seen Hagrid mulling around here and there over the course of two years in Faerun, and after hearing Voldemort's story, I knew he was looking for Cole. However, I also knew Cole would not ever be found by him. He'd been dead for several years at that point, so Hagrid's search was in vain. I saw the opportunity then, to use the former Psionic instructor as a disguise. The only problem was we needed the information, which only he would know, about Psionics. I became Allison Gazten, a complete lie, as she's never existed in the past, and Draam became Cole. I had him inform Hagrid, who was all too happy to have found us, that he would be sending me ahead in his place and would join us later. This would enable him the time he needed to learn all that he could through Cole's dead and rotting corpse. He is lord of the dead, you see. He can do anything he pleases with them."

"You needed him to get information? But…you knew that Neville was the guardian before we did," Harry spoke up. "You had him started on training before any of us…"

"Correct," Saaneeraa nodded. "I knew who all of you were because I know the bloodlines."

"The bloodlines," Harry said, remembering the little he'd been told about them by Xondis. "Why couldn't you tell us about that? Cole said we were just born into our powers, no scheme to it…"

"If I told you the truth," Saaneeraa replied, "then you would have known who both the guardian and the defender really were…and who your life was really linked to…"

Harry sat staring at her for a long moment, thinking over what she'd just said, and coming to a grim realization.

"You knew," he said feeling anger and hatred simmering within him. "You knew Cho had nothing to do with any of this!"

"That I did," Saaneeraa smiled wickedly.

"Why then?" Harry shouted hatefully, "She died for no reason! Not only was she not the defender, but the person Voldemort was truly after turns out to be the guardian! Why didn't you tell him any of this? You said you knew before even coming here…so why keep him in the dark about it? You let her die!"

"Why do you think?" Saaneeraa hissed, sitting up sharply, her eyes flashing. "If I haven't told Voldemort any of this vital information that he would need to know in order to achieve his ultimate goal…what do you think that implies?"

"You're…you're not helping Voldemort?" Harry stammered, his eyes widening in shock.

"Very good," Saaneeraa replied with a smirk. "I thought by now you would've figured that out on your own…"

"Then why tell us that the entities had aligned themselves with him?" Harry asked evenly.

"Because he believes they have," Saaneeraa answered simply.

"So you're double-crossing him."

"Of course I am!" Saaneeraa snapped, standing up abruptly. "How else would I be able to gain control of your powers?"

Harry just stared at her in shock, unable to reply.

"Did you really think I would just help Voldemort become the most powerful wizard in all the world and want nothing in return? He is not a man of his word, in case you weren't aware. If I'd refused to help, then he'd find some other way and come back to repay me for turning him down…but if I agreed, pretended to want to assist him, I could turn this all around and gain control of the power myself. You don't realize what you have, Harry. Psionic powers are the most coveted of them all. People would do anything for them…[Ianything[/I."

"If you want them so badly," Harry spoke in quiet fury, "why haven't you taken them already? It's not as if you haven't had plenty of chances."

"No I haven't," Saaneeraa replied evenly. "If the Psion has no control over his powers than no one else can either. You needed to be in possession of each of the crystals for at least a short while, in order for me to take your powers. I would have much preferred to get it all done at once, but that was impossible because…"

"Because if I'd had all the stones at once I would have gained full control of them," Harry finished for her, glaring in hatred.

"You got it," Saaneeraa said, pointing her index finger at him and winking.

"That's why Cole…" Harry began quickly, "excuse me[IDraam[/I, was so angry at me the one time I did take all of them."

"Yes, you did succeed in royally irritating him," Saaneeraa replied. "I wasn't pleased either, but no lasting harm was done, and he did a good job of scaring you out of ever trying something like that again. Now, however, you've done all that we needed you to do…and your powers will soon be mine."

"You need Neville for that," Harry snapped angrily. "And you don't have him…"

"Sorry to disappoint you," Saaneeraa grinned. "Do you forget so soon that I was the one who saved you just a short while ago? We know what Lucius was going to do. I had Draam stop him from killing the guardian while I went after you. Both the crystals and Neville are being brought down here as we speak. I will dispose of Mr. Longbottom myself, and then it will be your turn."

"What about Percy…and the Changs?" Harry asked darkly. "I know why you wanted Snape out of the way…but why did you wait so long to do it?"

"Percy had to be put out of the way as a precaution, I am not the one who sent him after you, that was Voldemort. He was using my servants, however, to control Mr. Weasley, and I was [Inot[/I pleased with him for that. You see that is something he has to learn, he can't just take my entities because he wants to…[Ithey are mine[/I," she finished forebodingly, her eyes focusing on something that seemed far away.

Harry waited for a moment, and when Saaneeraa made no further comment, he spoke quietly.

"And the Changs?" he asked again.

"They were a distraction to you," Saaneeraa replied with a casual wave of her hand. "I needed you here, finishing your time with the crystals…not off at some pointless ceremony for that silly girl's passing…"

"Don't talk about Cho like that!" Harry hissed, fiercely, gripping the arms of his chair as he spoke. If his leg wasn't in so much pain, he would have lunged at Saaneeraa then and there, not caring about the consequences.

"Oh come, come now," Saaneeraa said sweetly. "After all, you'll be seeing her again soon." Harry merely glared at her darkly as she continued. "So as you see, I had to put the Changs out of the way for the remainder of your training. You would have found some way to attend the funeral, and we didn't have the time to waste. As for Snape, I kept him awake as long as possible to avoid any unnecessary questions from Dumbledore, or your nosy godfather, Sirius. We were going to make full use of Snape's knowledge of Psionics, just as we were doing with Cole. The fact that Snape didn't know he possessed this knowledge would have made it even easier to take. But you just had to walk in while the Dream Snake was doing its work, didn't you? Of course it was able to attack you, as you're a Psion. You would have no trouble crossing barriers through the different realms. As Dream Snakes are supremely greedy, they will always choose a victim who they believe will bring them the most power…you win over Snape easily. But they're also stupid creatures, and this one didn't realize he would be quite unable to end your life, thus killing itself when it tried to consume your life force."

"But you already knew who the guardian and the defender were…what more did you need from Snape?" Harry asked.

"Anyone can read the bloodlines, Harry," Saaneeraa spoke hastily. "The crystals, however, would have proven to be a most impassible obstacle. We needed to be sure we weren't telling you how to use them correctly, but make it look as if we were. Draam took all he could from Cole, and then came to work on Snape. He completed the extraction on the night you were taken by Voldemort, and I had to quickly send Neville after you."

"But Voldemort said the bottle was your idea," Harry said, confused. "Why, if you didn't want him to…?"

"I had to make him believe I was on his side," Saaneeraa said, firmly. "I didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention from him…or suspicion. When you went to Dumbledore to tell him you'd received the bottle I decided to take a chance. I merely gave Sirius and Marzia a small push, and you noticed it just as I'd hoped. You knew something about their behavior was off, and so you disposed of the bottle straight away. I made sure to confirm your suspicions by having Neville ask you about it. You again felt something was strange, and made no attempt to go out and find the bottle."

"Then how did I get it back?" Harry asked.

"Good question," Saaneeraa replied, looking up and meeting his gaze evenly. "I would very much like to know…" she trailed off, seeming deep in thought for a moment, before looking back to Harry as he spoke again.

"After you'd taken the information you needed to from Snape," he started, "why did you need to put him into a coma too?"

"Because we can't fully take the information away from him," Saaneeraa answered. "Draam was learning from him, reading his mind is probably the easiest way to explain it, but he wasn't erasing the knowledge. The night you were taken by Voldemort was the night everyone would have become completely aware of their roles in this little game. Snape would have known exactly what he had to do, and as we couldn't have you knowing the full truth just yet, we filled him with smoke and Draam finally made his presence known…as Cole, Dumbledore's old friend."

"Filled him with smoke?" Harry asked, his brow furrowing.

"Yes," Saaneeraa replied, her eyes flashing mischievously. "You choose to call it what you will, but what it comes down to is just that. The smoke enters their being, rendering them helpless, unable to move or communicate with those around them while, in actuality, they're perfectly awake and able to hear everything."

"And the smoke," Harry continued, horrified over what he was being told, "is it permanent?"

"No," Saaneeraa sighed. "Unfortunately. You, yourself discovered its weakness, but thankfully, you were just too dumb to add up the pieces."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked defiantly.

"Your wand," Saaneeraa replied casually. "I'd be willing to bet anything there's a phoenix feather at its core, yes?"

Harry nodded stiffly, waiting.

"Phoenix feathers negate the effects of the black mist," Saaneeraa went on. "The power contained within them is far greater than that of the smoke."

"So that's why when my wand touched Mr. Chang the smoke started to leave him…"

"It is indeed," Saaneeraa replied with a nod. "Though I'd suggest giving them a potion which contains a phoenix feather as one of the ingredients…rather then just rub one against them. It could end up being quite painful in the end…" she trailed off, smiling wickedly.

"And that's why Mel's wand had no effect on the smoke," Harry continued. "There must be something else at its core."

"And at last, you're catching on," Saaneeraa said tauntingly.

"Why do you want Mel dead?" Harry asked grimly, meeting the entity's gaze evenly.

"Well it's not so much a matter of [Iwanting[/I her dead," Saaneeraa replied. "We [Ineed[/I her dead…"

"Why?" Harry asked, feeling dread knotting in the pit of his stomach.

"Because," Saaneeraa laughed, "the bloodlines dictate that when you are born, your Psionic abilities are imbedded within you. It makes no difference how many people are in your family, only one of you will be born with these powers. Now if a Psion dies, in order for the next in line to be born, the powers must be passed on."

"So what does that have to do with Mel?" Harry asked, apprehensively.

"Don't act dumb," Saaneeraa replied, rolling her eyes. "You know what I'm about to say."

"Mel gets the powers?" Harry asked.

"Exactly."

"So she's the next Psion?" Harry pressed on.

"No," Saaneeraa sighed, shaking her head. "You know you have to be born with that ability, and Mel wasn't. But her bloodline is the next in line to become Psion. As soon as you die, your powers go to her, but she'll never be aware of it. Her child would be born a Psion. If you lived long enough that she already had a child, then that would be who your powers passed to instead of her."

"So, whenever I die, my powers go to the youngest living member of her bloodline…and the next person born gets the Psionic abilities?" Harry asked.

"Correct," Saaneeraa replied slowly. "You're getting better at this…"

"And you need to kill her so…so the powers don't pass on?" Harry asked, knowing that had to be the answer.

"It's the only way I'll ever be able to take possession of them without any chance of a mishap. She doesn't have to die [Ibefore[/I you, granted. But it's best if we kill her soon after at least…"

"So that's why the Fleshcrawlers went for Mel before me that first time," Harry spoke, through clenched teeth. "What about when they tried to kill Ron and Hermione? Is there some secret I don't know about with them too?"

"No, that was just Draam having one of his little temper tantrums," Saaneeraa replied casually. "He likes to think he has some power, when he is truly nothing without me. Occasionally I let him make certain decisions, but he was mucking everything up towards the end there…you were becoming far too suspicious towards the both of us. He was giving you only partial information about the Fleshcrawlers, and everyone, including Dumbledore, could tell he was lying. I forbade him to see you any more, and took over in helping you with the crystals. As for the trainings with Draco, I made sure to supervise them as well. When he saw you and your friends by yourself that day, he decided to take action without first clearing it through me, and I had to call off his disgusting minions myself. Honestly, I don't know why I let him keep those things…" she trailed off as if she were talking about a child owning a puppy.

"So you don't want Ron or Hermione dead?" Harry asked.

"I couldn't care less one way or the other," Saaneeraa answered with a shrug. "I came here for your powers, and if that means killing people to get to them, so be it. Other than that, all of your friends can go about living their boring little lives…"

"And the Inquisitors, are they yours too?" Harry asked tersely, only to see Saaneeraa throw her head back in laughter at his question.

"You really fell for that, didn't you?" she said after a moment, still chuckling softly. "There were never any Inquisitors here, not at all. We of course played through with the charade for Dumbledore's benefit, making sure you all believed that is what they were, when all the while it was merely the Fleshcrawlers in disguise. There was little need for any further protection, as Voldemort was not sending many of his death eaters for you. He trusted that I was taking care of everything. The only time we had a problem, really, is when Lucius managed to sneak in. We had no excuse for why the Inquisitors hadn't sensed him, so we had to push the idea that somehow he'd been introduced to them. Luckily, his arrival nearly coincided with theirs, and so 'because they were still new and had not yet become accustomed to the newness of their assignment' worked as a believable excuse. We knew, however, that you were quite skeptical of them, searching the restricted section through and through for months. I planted that small excerpt for Ginny to find, to back up our story of the Inquisitors, and again, it worked quite well."

"Why lie about it then?" Harry asked darkly.

"Well we had to make you all believe we were doing something to protect the school, didn't we? The true Inquisitors would never come…for any reason, not that I wanted them to anyway."

"So the Fleshcrawlers…" Harry began.

"Were in disguise, as I said. Covered in the long, black, cloaks all the time, no one really bothered to look at their faces after the first time. Therefore, I didn't even need to bother with a disguise after that first week. We needed them around, to hinder your abilities further. After we realized the crystals were going to try and force you to take full control of them, we had to bring them in. It was the only way to truly be sure of severing your connection with them. They didn't stay too close to you at first, just enough to keep your powers at bay. But as the last few weeks came about, and Draam nearly ruined everything, I needed them around more, to make sure the crystals didn't give you any more information."

"I was able to speak to the courage crystal though," Harry said smugly. "Even with the Fleshcrawlers right nearby."

Saaneeraa stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face, before turning away and shrugging.

"One crystal doesn't change my plans at all," she muttered quietly.

Harry stared at her intently, thinking that despite what she'd said, she still seemed nervous…when suddenly she jumped up from her chair and stalked towards the door. Pulling it open swiftly, she glanced out into the hall before shutting it forcefully behind her, beginning to pace back and forth.

"What is taking them so long?" she muttered angrily.

"Something wrong?" Harry asked, tauntingly, glaring darkly at Saaneeraa. He could only pray that his friends had something to do with this delay.

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," she snapped, glancing up at him. Harry stared at her for a long moment, seeing Saaneeraa grow more frustrated by the second, he decided to try and keep her talking.

"What about Marzia?" he asked. "Why put so much into making everyone distrust her?

"Because," Saaneeraa replied impatiently, "I needed someone to take any attention away from myself and Draam. I knew certain things that were happening would cause you to feel skeptical or unsure, and I wanted to be positive you would look to someone else with your blame."

"So why Marzia then?" Harry asked.

"Because she was new to you," Saaneeraa answered. "You knew as much about her as you did me. She also had been to Faerun before and knew a great deal about the magic used there, so it was perfectly reasonable to think that she was the one not to trust. On Halloween when Percy was being controlled, she was the only one unaccounted for. Supposedly she was in her room, recuperating, but you all believed quite easily that her illness could have been a front, so she would have an excuse not to be around for that evening. The bottle you received for Christmas was another example, I was controlling both Sirius and Marzia at that time, but your mistrust for her made you believe it was she controlling your godfather. The night the Inquisitors arrived, I made sure that one of them sent her up to where I knew you and Mel had snuck off to. It seemed as if she were spying on you, as there was obviously no intruder to be found."

"What about what Menetor said?" Harry cut in. "He called her Shadow Behind…or at least that's what Sirius said he did…"

"Yes, he did indeed," Saaneeraa nodded. "I knew the only person who was not suspicious of Marzia in the slightest was your godfather, and so I had Menetor try to change that. He called her by my name and pretended to be quite interested in speaking with her…but your fool godfather didn't let it sway him in the slightest. He trusted her completely. It didn't matter, however…Dumbledore ended up sending her away after we planted the map in her room. It was easy enough to steal her wand just to activate the map once, knowing that Sirius would perform that charm to find it."

"The map," Harry said quietly. "Why doesn't your name show up on it?"

"Because I do not allow it to," Saaneeraa replied simply. "You may think I came here knowing next to nothing about you…but that isn't so. I knew about the map from the start…and if I'd known that it had the ability to see back in time I would have blocked my name from that as well."

"How do you have any control over it at all?" Harry asked.

"I can control minds, Harry, or have you forgotten?" Saaneeraa asked, condescendingly. "Your father and his friends' memories are all that is controlling that map, memories come from your mind. I can do anything I want with them…manipulate them in any way. There is only one person that has ever been a problem…" she trailed off.

"And that is?" Harry asked, stiffly.

"Albus Dumbledore," Saaneeraa replied. "That's why we had to be so careful with everything, and why I had to finally make it so Cole and Allison were 'attacked' a week or so ago. He'd felt the effects of my magic on him, and was able to fight it off for only so long…" she finished, her lips curing into a dark smile.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling a wave of fear wash over him.

Saaneeraa didn't answer him for a long moment, as she turned away and looked again out into the darkness of the hall. She left the door open this time however, and strode meaningfully across the room to where Harry sat.

"C'mon," she spat, taking hold of his arm once more and hauling him to his feet. "I'm tired of waiting."

Harry clenched his teeth as fresh pain surged through his leg, letting it half-drag behind him, unable to make it move, as Saaneeraa led them both through the door, and out into the dark corridor beyond.

Back through the halls they went, Harry struggling to keep up with Saaneeraa's hasty stride. His leg was screaming in agony and his arm was faring no better under her painful grasp, but he wouldn't allow a cry to escape him. He wasn't going to let himself appear any weaker than he already felt.

As they turned yet another corner, Harry recognized the corridor they had first been in when they'd emerged from the cell Lucius had left he and Remus in. When the passed the doorway to the room, Harry glanced towards it, having forgotten that they'd left the door open. It was too dark, however, in the unlit cell, and in the short glimpse he was able to catch, he couldn't spot Remus anywhere.

"Don't worry," Saaneeraa said, catching his hopeful staring towards the room. "I told you before, he's alive. The potion Lucius gave him won't last very long either…"

"He's alive, how comforting," Harry spat in hatred. "Did you miss all the blood on the floor after what you did to him? He's hurt! Can't we just go and…"

"No time for that," Saaneeraa snapped curtly.

"Please!" Harry said fiercely. "I'd still go with you…just make sure he's…"

"You're going to go with me this way too," Saaneeraa interrupted, grinning smugly. "Someone will find him…sooner or later."

Harry glared at her as she turned her gaze away, wishing he had any way at all to stop her. The rush of energy he'd felt in the cell with Remus had long since dissipated when he'd refused to release it…and hadn't returned. He supposed it only came when his life was in immediate danger…and while just being in Saaneeraa's presence could be considered dangerous, she wasn't trying to kill him…yet.

Exhaustion began to take over as they ascended further still, but Saaneeraa would not relent, she refused to slow down, and soon Harry was barely controlling his own movements at all, but rather allowing Saaneeraa to drag him down the corridors, his leg trailing limply behind him as he tried to hobble along on his good one.

They reached an area that Harry recognized after a grueling twenty minutes, but still it seemed Saaneeraa had no plans of stopping. Needing to take his mind off of the pain tearing through his body, and not daring to allow himself to pass out, he brought his gaze up slowly.

"What did you do to Dumbledore?" Harry asked, his voice thick with fatigue.

"What does it matter?" Saaneeraa replied bluntly. "He's out of my way…that's all I care about."

"It matters because he's my friend," Harry stated, trying to keep his voice steady.

"And we know how much you care about those," Saaneeraa replied with an impatient sigh. "Stupid of you really…friends are nothing but a weakness, they make you vulnerable."

Harry glared at the back of her head, as she refused to meet his gaze, before speaking quietly.

"Well it's no wonder you're so miserable," he began, a dark anger in his tone. "Now I know why you had to create the other entities…it was your only option after no one else would…"

"Enough," Saaneeraa cut him off sharply, coming to a sudden halt and turning to face him. "Your stupid little teenage retorts don't phase me, but your constant chatter is beginning to. If you don't shut up now, I'm going to make it so you can never speak again, understand?" she finished, her eyes flashing menacingly. Without waiting for any reply, she tightened the grip on Harry's arm, and once again they were off, up the corridor.

Harry was doing all he could to remain awake now. He didn't know if Saaneeraa had been serious in her threat, but he didn't care to test it and find out, so he remained silent. They'd passed by Snape's office and the potions classroom several minutes earlier, and would soon be out of the dungeons area entirely.

When they'd turned the next corner, Harry glanced up briefly and recognized the wall that held the secret passage, the one he'd gone through so long ago to find Snape. He stared at it for a moment; sure his eyes were playing tricks on him, as it seemed slightly out of focus. Raising his good arm as they neared the spot, he wiped the sweat out of his eyes and looked at it closer, they were just about to pass by when suddenly the wall shifted as it had on the first day of classes and someone stepped through, blocking their path.

Harry wanted to laugh with relief as he saw who came through the wall. He winced as Saaneeraa tightened the grip on his arm, however, dragging him up just beside her and glaring straight ahead.

"Looks like I'm just in time," Marzia commented slowly, her wand already drawn and aimed as she met Saaneeraa's gaze. Shifting her eyes momentarily, a concerned expression flitted over her face when she saw Harry's condition, but turned immediately back to face her enemy.

"Marzia," Saaneeraa breathed in frustration. "Missed us, did you? Really you shouldn't have stayed away so long…" she trailed off, gazing tauntingly at her.

"And I'm so glad I'll have the chance to thank you properly for my unexpected vacation," Marzia replied stiffly.

"Got bored, did you?" Saaneeraa asked casually. "Pity."

"Oh on the contrary," Marzia began evenly. "It gave me the chance to investigate another mystery that's been bothering me."  
"And that would be?" Saaneeraa asked, impatiently.

"What you did with the ministry," Marzia replied. "You've been causing quite a panic among wizards and witches everywhere, you know."

"That was the general idea," Saaneeraa replied smugly.

"That and making sure no help could possibly be sent to Hogwarts," Marzia said quickly. "You sent every last one of them to Azkaban…"

"This is all very interesting," Saaneeraa spoke abruptly, in an irritated tone.

"Isn't it?" Marzia cut her off. "You've been controlling them for over a year now. I know that I could never have gotten the entire ministry to side with me on freeing Sirius all by myself…neither could Arthur Weasley. But yet I walk in and they release him with barely a second thought. I've thought about this for a while now, and the only reason I can think of that you would let him go, is so that I would look suspicious."

"Well aren't you the smart one?" Saaneeraa replied, rolling her eyes. "Yes I was the one who swayed the ministry…Black's name was on the list for the next train to Azkaban, no questions asked. When you suddenly show up and start fighting for him, I thought it would be a much better idea to have him suddenly released. It would look like someone had bewitched the ministry members…and of course, you would be the obvious suspect, no one really knowing anything about you."

"But it wasn't enough, was it?" Marzia spat. "You fixed it so I would seem guilty time after time for months…until Dumbledore finally asked me to leave."

"Can we get to the point?" Saaneeraa asked hastily. Harry wondered briefly why Saaneeraa was allowing Marzia to hold them up this long as it was, and was hanging on every word.

"You're worried," Marzia drawled with a small grin. "I may not be as powerful as you…but I know a great deal of your magic. More so than anyone else in this school…you needed me to leave, so I wouldn't be able to stop you…"

"Precautions never hurt…and you're still not going to be able to stop me," Saaneeraa hissed. She took one menacing step forward, nearly lifting Harry off his feet as she did so, when Marzia spoke again.

"I knew it was you," she said smugly. "From the first day I'd arrived and you walked into the great hall I knew. I saw that you'd recognized me as well…"

"But unfortunately for you, you never bothered to tell anyone what you thought," Saaneeraa growled, obviously wanting to end this discussion.

"What proof did I have?" Marzia shot back. "You certainly don't look very ominous in this form you've adopted. Allison Gazten, cute name, really…" she trailed off with a dark smirk.

"Well I couldn't show up in my true form, now could I?" Saaneeraa glowered at her.

"No, you certainly wouldn't fit in," Marzia replied curtly. "I think, however, that this disguise was more to fool Voldemort and his followers than anything else. From what Sirius told me, none of them recognized you when Harry was nearly taken at the Dursley's. You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"Your detective skills are truly astonishing," Saaneeraa began, sardonically. "Now if you don't mind…"

"What I can't figure out," Marzia continued, loudly, "is why you would tell the death eaters Harry was going to be at the Dursley's if you hadn't planned on letting them take him."

"That would be because I didn't tell them," Saaneeraa replied stiffly. "Now get out of my way."

"Make me," Marzia replied, a threatening edge in her voice. Her wand was aimed steadily at the entity. "Show yourself Saaneeraa," she said with an air of confidence, "face me now."

Harry glanced at Saaneeraa as he felt a radiant energy suddenly begin to emanate from within her. Her expression was dark and threatening, and he wanted nothing more at that moment then to get as far away from her as possible.

Averting his eyes quickly as there was an intense flash of heat and light, which lasted for less than a minute, Harry slowly turned his head back around to face the sight that now awaited him.

The person he knew to be Allison Gazten was completely gone, and in her place stood something else. A towering figure, clothed in white sleeveless robes, stood beside him. The material was soft and shimmering, seeming to play tricks with his eyes as he stared at it. Her red hair was now a shadowy flame, flickering out at awkward angles, there seemed to be electricity running through her skin, which was transparent and shifting through all the colors of the spectrum, and her eyes were a ghostly white through and through.

"Much better," Marzia commented stiffly. "It'll be much easier to end your existence when you don't look like a human…"

"You weak, pathetic fool," Saaneeraa spoke in a booming voice, which Harry could feel vibrating in his throat. "You will be punished for your arrogance. I will be the last thing you ever see."

With a violent shove, she released Harry, slamming him into the opposite wall harshly, and he slumped to the floor in exhaustion. Marzia looked as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders just seeing that Harry was no longer in Saaneeraa's clutches, but did not lower her gaze for even the briefest of seconds.

Harry immediately tried to get back on his feet, but he couldn't make it. His leg was in such fierce agony that his vision kept swimming in and out. Rather than lose consciousness again, Harry gritted his teeth against the pain, and tried to stay as motionless as possible, praying that Marzia knew what she was doing.

"Maybe so," Marzia spoke evenly. If she was afraid in the slightest, Harry couldn't tell. "But your fight doesn't end with me. You will lose today, I promise."

Saaneeraa made no reply, but instead appeared to be drawing her energy together. The air around her was humid and sticky, and Harry could feel the immense weight of the power she was calling on. A shimmering circle of light formed in front of her after a matter of seconds, and as Saaneeraa looked up to Marzia, Harry did the same.

He wanted to scream at her to run, to get out of the way…she didn't seem to be preparing in any way for what it looked like was going to happen. Before he could even open his mouth, however, Saaneeraa released her energy and it crossed the distance to Marzia faster than his eyes could see.

Feeling his stomach flip sickeningly, Harry watched as Marzia was hit squarely in the chest, flinging her backwards several feet down the hall, her body landing with a dull thump.

"Imbecile," Saaneeraa muttered indignantly, looking disgustedly at Marzia's still form, before turning and moving towards Harry.

Harry couldn't take his eyes from Marzia, unable to believe she would have just allowed herself to be hit like that, praying it was some sort of ruse, but as Saaneeraa forced him back on his feet and began dragging him ruthlessly back up the hall, the realization began to sink in.

They came to the spot where Marzia lay, and Harry looked down upon her, silently begging her to get up, but she remained motionless. He saw her wand lay a few feet from her half-open hand, and he couldn't see her breathing.

A second later they were past her, and continuing the grueling walk in the darkness.

"You didn't have to kill her," Harry said darkly, straining to keep his voice steady while taking deep breaths. He couldn't take this much longer and didn't care where they were going anymore, as long as they got there soon.

"She is the only one to blame for that," Saaneeraa replied emotionlessly. "If she'd stayed out of my way, she'd be alive right now."

"You're disgusting," Harry spat hatefully. "You could have done anything to stop Marzia but instead you chose to…"

"I have my reasons," Saaneeraa cut him off sharply. "Marzia is a hazard to have around. If she hadn't come back to the school…" she trailed off, bringing them both to an abrupt halt and looking over her shoulder.

Harry stared up at her, before glancing in the direction she seemed to be fixing on behind them, unable to see anything.

"What is it?" he couldn't help himself from asking.

"Shut up!" she snapped viciously, not bothering to spare him a glance as she spoke. Harry remained silent, not wanting to get her angry again, and prayed for the best.

After another long moment, Saaneeraa seemed to decide to ignore whatever it was she thought she heard, and turned back to face the opposite direction, pulling Harry along with her.

They'd made it less than three steps, however, when Saaneeraa halted once more, so forcefully Harry nearly lost his balance, and he looked up immediately to see what she had stopped them for this time. He was quite unprepared, however, for the site that awaited him.

The shadows on the wall behind the entity seemed to have sprung to life, and were peeling themselves away from the cold surface, wrapping around Saaneeraa in thin snake-like tendrils. Her face was contorted in anger, her upper lip curled in a vicious snarl, as she struggled against the unrelenting shadows.

"Imbecile, am I?" Marzia's voice called out as she came up the corridor towards them. Harry was filled yet again with sweet relief, seeing her very much alive and well.

"This won't last forever," Saaneeraa hissed, rage flashing in her eyes.

"I don't need it to," Marzia replied evenly as she moved up next to the seemingly helpless entity. She reached out with her wand, touching the tip of it to Saaneeraa's hand that was still grasping tightly to Harry's arm. He heard her shriek in pain as he was released, and Marzia instantly caught him, helping him stay upright.

"Stand back, Harry," Marzia said firmly, pulling him away from Saaneeraa, who was cursing vehemently while struggling against her bonds.

"What did you…?" he began.

"Later," Marzia replied. "I just want to make sure she's taken care of first."

Harry nodded, not quite understanding what was going on, or why Saaneeraa seemed to be so powerless at the moment, but he didn't care. The two stood side by side, as the shadows pulled Saaneeraa back towards the wall, and to Harry's shock, into it. The process seemed quite painful and Saaneeraa looked positively murderous as she fought will every last ounce of strength she possessed to free herself, to no avail.

When she disappeared entirely into the hard, stone surface, Marzia stepped into the center of the hall, leading Harry gently with her. He glanced uncertainly to the shadows, which were still moving restlessly against the wall.

"C'mon," she began, "we have to find…"

She was cut off abruptly as the wall seemed to burst with power. A large jolt slammed into Marzia's hand with specific aim, knocking her wand out of her grasp, and Saaneeraa pushed through, still held tightly by the shadows. She had a maniacal grin spread across her face and Harry had no time to get out of the way as she lunged for him, pinning his arms to his sides by wrapping her own around him, before they were both being pulled back towards the wall.

"No!" he cried through clenched teeth as he fought to free himself. Marzia didn't hesitate for a second as she took hold of him as well, refusing to allow Saaneeraa to take him. Harry could see that her wand was too far out of reach at the moment for her to release him and go for it…he'd be gone by the time she turned around.

"Let him go!" she screamed angrily, trying to pry Saaneeraa's arms away, to give him even the slightest amount of room to slip free. But it wasn't working, and Saaneeraa's wicked laughter echoed in Harry's ears. He could see Marzia's feet sliding across the floor, as the wall drew ominously closer. He didn't want to know what awaited him on the other side, and ignored the pain running through him, trying desperately to get away.

As his feet made contact with the wall, he felt them go numb almost instantly, and glancing down he could see the tips of his shoes had entered this warped portal. His energy was all but spent and he wanted nothing more than to just give in at this moment. He was about to do just that, when he felt himself suddenly jolted forward, away from the shadows. Saaneeraa's grip around him tightened painfully for the briefest of seconds, and in the next, it was loose. He let himself fall to the floor, pushing with his good leg to get to the opposite wall as fast as possible, glancing up just in time to see Saaneeraa sucked back into the shadows, her enraged scream echoing in the damp hall.

Breathing heavily, Harry leant his head back against the wall, having no idea what had just happened, when he felt someone kneel down just beside him. Slanting his eyes open slightly, Harry gave the faintest of smiles, when he saw Remus staring back at him.

"Remus," Harry said, barely above a whisper, happy to see his friend was alive. His vision was still fading in and out, however, and it took a moment longer to realize that there was a large gash on the side of Remus' head, which was still bleeding freely, down his neck and soaking his shirt.

"You're hurt," Harry said concernedly, suddenly very worried.

"Not as bad as you are," Remus replied, his voice thick with guilt.

Harry shook his head faintly; he didn't blame his friend for what had happened, and opened his mouth to tell him so, when Marzia spoke urgently.

"We need to get Harry out of here," she said, staring intently down at the both of them, before continuing pointedly. "And you both need medical attention."

"Are the death eaters still in the school?" Remus asked, standing up slowly.

"I saw more of them coming when I arrived," Marzia nodded. "I would bet anything they're still here."

"What…what are you doing here anyway?" Remus asked, suddenly realizing whom he was speaking with.

"I'll tell you later," Marzia said hastily. "We can't stay here any longer, it isn't safe."

Giving her a skeptical glance but obviously deciding she had a point, Remus nodded once, before kneeling back down beside Harry.

"Can you walk?" he asked gravely, looking from Harry's injuries to his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "If we help you?" he added firmly.

"Yes," Harry nodded, not wanting to bring any more guilt down on his friend by having him conjure a stretcher for him. Besides, it wouldn't be as bad as it had been while Saaneeraa had been forcing him through the halls. Clenching his teeth, Harry pushed himself up from the floor as Remus took firm hold of his arms, and stood up slowly. The pain in his leg worsened with the added pressure, and he quickly shifted all of his weight to his good leg. He felt Remus but an arm around his back, and his own arm lifted around his friend's neck, before they were ready to go.

"C'mon," Marzia said quietly, motioning for them to start up the hall.

"No," Remus replied, shaking his head quickly. "This way," he nodded in the opposite direction.

"Remus…we don't want to go back into the dungeons!" Marzia whispered fiercely, giving him a look of confusion.

"I know that!" Remus replied quietly, already beginning to lead Harry back down that way. "Just trust me, this is the fastest route."

"To where?" Marzia asked impatiently as she jogged up beside them, beginning to walk in the same pace.

"To anywhere," Remus replied evenly. "But for our immediate purposes, to the hospital wing."

Marzia was staring at him, her expression clearly showing how insane she considered his answer to be, but as they turned into the next hallway, Remus brought the group to a stop only a quarter of the way down. He looked carefully at the wall before them, examining it closely and brushing away at the layering of dirt caked to it, before turning around and staring at the opposite wall.

"Brush that off," he said to Marzia hastily, pointing at the dirt on the opposite wall. Looking completely uncertain, but not arguing, she nodded once and stepped towards the wall, wiping it quickly with her fingers.

"Now what?" she asked, when the wall itself could be seen again.

"Look here," Remus started, pointing at a faint, spiral crack in one of the dark stones. "See that?"

"Yes," Marzia replied, sounding impatient.

"There's one just like it over there," he nodded towards the opposite wall. "Go find it."

Turning once more, Marzia stepped across the hall and scanned the stones before her quickly, before bringing a hand up to the wall.

"Okay, found it," she called quietly.

"Alright, on three, push it into the wall…ready?" She nodded once, placing her index finger over the spot.

"One…two…three." Both Remus and Marzia pushed on the spiral cracks at the same moment, and Harry heard what sounded like a lock springing open with a bang, followed by silence.

"Um…that was interesting," Marzia commented, looking from the wall she was standing near to the one opposite her. "But I still don't see a way to…"

"It's this way," Remus said hastily, interrupting her and starting to head further up the hall, moving Harry gently along with him. They came to a stop in front of one of the small, rusted, candleholders that lined each hallway down in the dungeons, giving off a tiny flicker of light, and Remus reached up towards it. Grasping hold of the once-elegant piece of thin metal that curled out from under the candle, he took hold of the lowest bit, and turned it slightly. Harry was watching every move Remus made intently, holding his breath and waiting, when finally something happened. The wall directly in front of him began sliding backwards, away from him. He could see nothing but darkness as it suddenly shifted, moving sideways, and allowing them entrance into the passage.

Slipping his hand into his pocket, Remus cursed under his breath before turning to Marzia.

"Um…would you mind, some light…? I don't have my wand…" he trailed off darkly. Harry knew he was thinking about Lucius, who, last they knew of, had both of their wands. He hoped they could get them back soon; it would make him feel better knowing he had something to fight with.

"Sure," Marzia nodded, stepping forward and raising her wand. She lit the tip quickly and moved forward into the darkness, waiting just inside for the other two to join her. When they were all fully in the passageway, Remus reached up again, and Harry saw an identical candleholder on this side of the wall. He turned the lowest bit once more, and the loose piece of wall shifted over and up, slamming into place with a low groan, a cloud of ages-old dust rising into the air as it did so.

"Let's go," Remus said urgently. "We can't waste anymore time."

Nodding her agreement, Marzia spun back around, her wand out in front of her, before beginning to step, quickly yet cautiously, further into the passageway.

They walked through the damp corridor, Remus telling Marzia each time they had to turn. It became complicated very quickly, and Harry was unable to keep track of their progress in the maze, glad that at least Remus knew where they was going.

After a few moments, Harry spoke softly, not wanting to wait any longer for the answer to his question.

"Marzia?" he called out faintly, his voice sounding magnified in the deadly silent hall.

"Yes?" she called back gently, glancing swiftly over her shoulder towards him before returning her gaze to face front. "What is it Harry?"

"What happened back there, with Saaneeraa? I thought you were dead…" he trailed off, remembering with an involuntary shiver how certain he'd felt of this when he'd glimpsed her limp form in the hallway.

"I'm sorry to have scared you like that," Marzia replied quietly, a genuinely apologetic expression on her face as she turned briefly to glance at Harry. "But I needed Saaneeraa to believe exactly that. If I'd tried to attack her head on, she could have blocked it easily, the only choice I had was to surprise her. And what could be more surprising than an attack coming from someone you think to be dead?"

"But…you knew she was going to do that then?" Harry asked. "You knew she'd use…whatever that spell she used is called…?"

"If I got her angry enough, yes, which is why I was prepared to let myself get hit by it," Marzia nodded. "I know she wants me out of the way as it is…so it wouldn't take much to get her upset enough to do it herself."

"How come it didn't work?" Harry asked. "You didn't seem to be trying to block it…"

"That's one of the things that differs," Marzia began, "when you compare the magic you learn here…and the magic of Faerun. You don't always need to use words for their magic. If she'd shot that curse at anyone who could only perform human magic…they would have died. I'm surprised she believed me dead so quickly to tell you the truth. Seeing as how she knows I can do their magic. She must've been in quite the hurry."

"She was," Harry nodded darkly, his mind drifting again back to Neville. He prayed his friend was alright.

"Here we are," Remus spoke up suddenly, bringing Harry's thoughts back to the moment, he had more questions, but they would have to wait for the time being. Marzia halted upon hearing him speak, waiting to see what she had to do next. Remus slid just beside her, and Harry noticed yet another candleholder hung on the wall just above them. He supposed each one they had passed along the way must be an exit from these passages.

The wall began to move as Remus stepped back from it, and when it had stopped at last, Harry looked through the opening it had left, and gasped at the sight before him.

"What…what happened?" Harry stammered, unable to take his eyes from the room in front of him.

"I don't know," Remus replied grimly. "And I'm not sure that it's safe to go in here…"

"We need to get something to help the two of you," Marzia insisted, turning to stare at him intently.

"And…what if…what if someone's…hurt…" Harry managed, feeling dread building up within him.

Remus looked back and forth between the two for a brief moment, before nodding once.

"Fine, but we aren't staying. If we find someone who we can help, we'll do it…otherwise I want you as far away from here as possible," Remus said firmly, looking pointedly at Harry, who nodded faintly in reply.

Feeling Remus begin to move, Harry stepped forward, into the utterly destroyed hospital wing. There was no light at all, as every lamp and lantern was shattered. Beds were overturned, the mattresses torn to shreds. The floor was scattered with massive amounts of glass, the contents of the bottles forming multi-colored puddles everywhere. What caused him to worry more than any of this, however, was a blanket of smoke floating lazily in the air around them. He could only catch small glimpses of it in the light from Marzia's wand, as it cast its eerie glow around the dark hospital wing.

"Where is that coming from?" Harry voiced aloud as he stared at the smoke. It wasn't the black haze that the entities could control, but rather a murky gray colored fog that he could taste in his throat.

"Something's burning," Marzia said quietly. She and Remus exchanged bleak glances, before continuing on, cautiously.

The further they went, the stronger and thicker the smoke became, until they reached the main floor of the hospital wing, when it became nearly unbearable.

Holding his breath and ignoring the sickening odor in the air, Harry pressed on, moving forward with the others, hearing a faint crackling growing louder with each passing moment, until at last they turned into the main foyer, and found the source of the smoke.

Madam Pomfrey's office was engulfed in a roaring inferno, the heat so intense that Harry could feel himself breaking out in a sweat from all the way across the room.

"No!" he breathed in a panic, instinctively beginning to move forward.

"Hang on there Harry," Remus said, gripping him tightly to stop him from going ahead. "We don't even know that anyone's in there."

Before Harry could utter a word in argument, Remus turned to Marzia.

"Can you…?" he began.

"Consider it out," Marzia replied, already starting towards the blaze. She lifted her wand, aiming at the office. "Flamma aurae termino," she said quickly. Harry watched as a whirlwind seemed to form in front of her wand, the air in front of her was slowly being sucked into its tip, and the fire dyed out in a matter of seconds.

Remus started forward, helping Harry along, and they moved cautiously towards the office, which Marzia was already stepping through. The walls were nothing more than rubble, as was everything that had been inside the office. Every item that was large enough to not have been reduced to ashes was a charcoal black, and a rotten smell hung in the air.

"You don't think…" Harry began, a sick feeling in his stomach, " Madam Pomfrey…you don't think she was…"

"I pray she wasn't," Remus said gravely. "I don't even know if we'd see her…remains," he said darkly. "Depending on how long this fire was going."

Harry nodded faintly, thinking that finding nothing was much better at this moment than finding…something else, as he felt Remus start to move again.

"Come on, there's nothing we can do here," he said, motioning to Marzia who was sifting through the rubble slowly, "and I don't feel safe staying for very long…whoever did this may still be nearby."

"I'll be right there," she replied quickly. "You guys go on ahead."

"We'll wait for you by the passageway," Remus nodded faintly.

"Do you think they were after Madam Pomfrey for something?" Harry asked, as they started heading back the way they'd come.

"No," Remus said angrily. "I think they're trying to scare us."

"Why the hospital wing then?" Harry asked.

"Because every student in this school sees the hospital wing as a place where they'll be taken care of," Remus replied as they stepped back into the stairwell and started up. "It's a security blanket, you could say. And now it's gone."

Harry nodded slowly, thinking to himself that if there were one place in all the school that gave him a sense of security it would be Dumbledore's office, when another thought struck him.

"Saaneeraa!" he spoke up abruptly, feeling his heart start to pound in his chest. "I think she did something to Dumbledore…we have to go see if he's alright!"

"She said she did something?" Remus asked, meeting Harry's gaze. "Did she give you any clue what it was?"

"No," Harry replied, feeling fear creep up inside him. "Just that he was out of her way…"

Remus stared at him for a long moment, a grim expression on his face, before sighing almost inaudibly in frustration.

"We're going up there as soon as Marzia's back," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "Hopefully we find him there…or at least someone who knows more about what's going on."

"Then we better get going," Marzia's voice spoke up as she walked towards them. "C'mon," she continued, holding up two very battered looking bottles filled with a dark liquid. "At least I'll be able to clean you both up somewhat with this, as soon as we're upstairs…"

"Right," Remus nodded purposefully. "Let's go."

The second journey through the inner passageway was silent, as the three wanted nothing more than to make it up to the headmaster's office. When Remus finally told Marzia to stop and twisted the candleholder they were near, it opened into a room Harry had never seen before.

They stepped through into a tiny bedroom with a modest lamp on a thick oak table just beside a wide, comfortable looking bed. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with books, the only space that was occupied with anything else were for candles. There was a large chest in one corner of the room, and the floor was covered in a plush burgundy carpet.

"Are we in…?" Harry began.

"Dumbledore's quarters," Remus nodded, not wasting anytime before starting across the room, Marzia right behind them. They went through several more rooms before Harry recognized the kitchen he'd been in a few times since the beginning of the school year. Remus slid the wall aside, and they stepped through into Dumbledore's office.

Harry glanced around, hopefully, immediately recognizing the two students before him.

Mel and Draco were sitting on one of the long couches in the center of the office, but their attention was settled on the wall opposite from where Harry stood. He looked up just in time to see the door opening, and Sirius entering the room, a deeply concerned expression on his face.

"I can't find them any…" he began, before catching site of the three new arrivals across the room. "Harry!" he cried out, a relief more than evident in his voice. Harry began to slip his hand out from behind Remus, catching Mel and Draco's stunned expressions, as Sirius reached him, drawing him into a fatherly embrace.

"Where have you been?" Sirius asked, and Harry was almost surprised to hear his godfather's voice shaking with emotion. "I've been so worried…"

"I'll be fine," Harry replied, trying to sound reassuring as he pulled back and looked into Sirius' eyes. "There's so much I need to tell you…" he began.

"What…who did this to you?" Sirius cried fiercely, suddenly noticing the wounds on Harry's arm and leg.

Harry glanced sideways at Remus who immediately crossed his arms over his chest, bringing one hand up to his face, and hung his head in shame.

"I…let me explain what happened," Harry began, looking from his godfather to the chairs behind him longingly.

"Yes, you have to get off your feet," Sirius said hastily, immediately moving to help his godson. When Harry was seated in one of the soft chairs in the center of the room, he took a moment to sit back, to catch his breath and think. He looked across to where Mel and Draco sat, staring at him in wonder. Mel looked very thankful to see him, and Harry couldn't help but feel happy about her relief.

"Marzia," Sirius spoke up again, as she and Remus joined him next to Harry's chair. "You made it in okay…I'm so glad," he said, taking his fiancé in a brief embrace and kissing her once.

"I'm glad you got a hold of me when you did," she replied pulling back from him and taking the two bottles from earlier out of her cloak. "But I'll tell you about that later…first we need to hear what Harry has to tell us, "she paused, before glancing towards Remus, "and you," she added pointedly, "in that chair now…we need to have a look at that rather large wound on your head."

"Remus!" Sirius breathed, his jaw dropping as he looked to his friend's injury. He'd been too relieved to see Harry alive and well, that he hadn't even noticed what had happened to his friend.

"I'm fine," Remus replied dismally, "take care of Harry first…"

"Sit," Marzia repeated, ignoring his request and pointing at the chair nearest to them. "I'll take care of both of you. All I can do is clean your injuries anyway…that was all the only thing I could find in the hospital wing. But I grabbed a few cloths on our way through the kitchen just now. We'll also need to wrap that arm you've been trying to pretend isn't broken…" she trailed off, looking pointedly at Remus.

"I'll help," Mel spoke up softly, looking at Marzia, who turned at the sound of the younger girl's voice. "I can take care of Harry, while you do Professor Lupin." Harry grinned up at her softly as she glanced towards him, before looking back to Marzia.

"Make sure you're thorough," Marzia said in complete seriousness, holding out a bottle and a cloth, which Mel stood up and crossed the room to take.

"I will be," Mel replied with a nod. She took the items gingerly, before turning and moving closer to where Harry was seated. Kneeling down just beside him, she dampened the cloth with the liquid from the bottle, and began gently applying it to his horribly torn leg.

"What did this?" she asked, horrified at the jagged wound.

"I'll tell you what happened," Harry began, "but…shouldn't I wait…I mean…is Dumbledore here?" he asked, praying the answer would be a good one.

"Dumbledore is here," Sirius began gravely.

"That's great!" Harry said anxiously. "Where is he?"

"He's in the next room…" Sirius spoke softly, "along with Snape, and the Changs."

"Watching over them?" Harry asked, knowing that was not going to be the answer, but not wanting to hear the truth.

"No," Sirius replied, shaking his head darkly. "We aren't sure what's happened to him, but he isn't responding to anything we try…Poppy was in here for hours this morning, trying to figure something out…"

Harry hung his head, already having felt that was going to be the situation. Sitting back in his chair, he sighed softly, when he realized what Sirius had just said.

"Madam Pomfrey," he began suddenly, "she was here? How long ago? Is she alright?"

"She was here all morning," Sirius replied, "And as far as I know she's fine right now…"

"She wasn't in her office recently, was she?" Remus asked grimly, and Harry looked anxiously to his godfather, fearing the worst.

"No," Sirius said, somewhat hesitantly. "She hasn't been down to her office for quite some time I should think…" he trailed off, before glancing at his godson eagerly. "Please…you were going to tell us what happened…?"

Harry stared long and hard at his godfather, before speaking in a very silent voice.

"Sirius…what aren't you telling me? You're hiding something…"

For a long moment, Sirius made no reply, setting his jaw in stubborn determination and meeting Harry's gaze evenly. But Harry refused to give in, and at last Sirius looked away, shaking his head sadly.

"There was an attack a short while ago," he began quietly. "And it was centered on the Gryffindor tower…"

Harry felt his heart stop beating in his chest as he sat up with a start.

"What happened? Is everyone okay? Where are Ron and Hermione…and Ginny? What about…"

"Madam Pomfrey is there now," Sirius interrupted his slew of questions forcefully. "She is tending to anyone who was injured…"

"And my friends?" Harry asked, feeling cold fear closing in around him.

"Ron, Hermione and Ginny are unaccounted for," Sirius replied, barely above a whisper.

"No…" Harry said unsteadily, clasping his hands together as they began to shake slightly. "Why?" he managed to get out, "What do they want with them?"

"I don't know," Sirius replied sadly. "Neville is missing as well, but from what we were able to find out that happened earlier…before the attack."

"We have to help them," Harry said, his fear slowly becoming anger. "We have to find them and…"  
"One thing at a time Harry," Sirius stated firmly. "I want to help them…we all do. But we need to know whatever it is you have to tell us before we do anything else."

Harry wanted nothing more at that moment than to jump up from his chair and go off in search of his friends. They played no part in any of this and should be left alone. But he also realized his godfather had a point. He'd never be able to do anything in his current state…and sat back with a frustrated, shaky sigh, before starting to explain all that had happened.

As it turned out, Mel and Draco had explained all they could remember from their visit with the Zlam, so Harry began his explanation at the point from which he and Neville went off with the shapeshifter they had thought to be Remus, and went from there. He talked quickly, feeling the need to finish the story as soon as possible and get to finding his friends, wincing slightly every now and again, as the medicine Mel was gently applying to his wounds would sting, but soon enough he was used to it, and talked through any discomfort.

When he began to tell of what Lucius had done to him…and to Remus, Sirius got up from his seat suddenly, and knelt down next to Mel, examining Harry's wounds.

"I thought that these looked as if you'd been bitten" Sirius commented darkly.

"Sirius," Harry began quickly, "It wasn't his fault…Lucius…he gave him a potion that forced him to…"

"No, no Harry, I realize that," Sirius spoke gently. They both glanced to Remus who was looking down at the floor, an anguished expression on his face, and Harry's heart went out to his friend.

"Remus please…it wasn't your fault," Harry spoke earnestly.

"I…infected you…" Remus spoke, barely above a whisper, his voice shaking. "You're cursed…just as I am…for the rest of your life…" he trailed off, bringing an unsteady hand up to his face and covering his eyes.

"You didn't do it on purpose!" Harry cried, leaning forward in his seat. He wanted to make Remus understand that…he needed him to. "Please…Remus…" he trailed off as his friend would not even glance up to meet his gaze. Sighing in frustration, Harry sat back in his chair, shaking his head sadly, before slowly looking once more across the room. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," he said quietly.

Remus looked up sharply at Harry's words, who could see the redness around his friend's eyes.

"If you hurt me?" Remus repeated in honest confusion. "What do you mean…?"

"I kicked you," Harry said softly, feeling true guilt over what he was saying. "While you were a wolf…to make you stop…"

Remus stared at Harry for a long moment, an awed expression on his face, before his eyes welled up slowly, and silent tears ran softly down his face.

"Harry," he said, his voice thick with grief, "I only wish you had done more…"

"I couldn't," Harry replied, firmly, feeling his own emotions threatening to spill over, but holding them at bay. "You know I couldn't…not ever. I have no control over the powers…and I could never live with myself if I'd done anything…"

"Which is exactly how I feel," Remus said dismally.

"But I'm alive," Harry said, a small smirk crossing his lips as he looked into Remus' eyes. "And I know for a fact that you can get through life with what you call [Iyour curse[/I. I'll be fine too."

Sirius, who had been kneeling silently by Harry's side, listening to both sides of the discussion slowly stood up. He crossed to where his fellow marauder sat, shaking, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Harry doesn't blame you, Moony," Sirius spoke up firmly. "And neither do I."

"I blame myself," Remus muttered despondently, "I was careless…"

"You were outnumbered!" Sirius cried fiercely. "You were taken against your will and forced to do something you would never even dare think about…something you never would have done had you any control over your actions!"

"I know," Remus replied quietly, "It's just…" he trailed off, his shoulders slumped dejectedly.

Harry stared at his friend, feeling horrible. He truly didn't blame him in the slightest, but Remus was refusing to accept that…it was almost as if he wanted to be punished. Sighing softly, and shaking his head, he looked to Mel, who had stopped what she was doing for a moment to listen to the discussion, and then up at Draco. For the first time since he'd entered the office a short while earlier, he noticed how pale and sickly Draco appeared to be. He must've felt everything Harry had…and it had worn on him quite badly.

"Draco," Harry called out, waiting for the other boy to meet his gaze. Malfoy's eyes were dull and hollow. "Are you alright?" he asked, truly concerned. After all that he'd just felt, he wouldn't wish the same pain upon anybody.

"Yeah, just great thanks." Draco muttered flatly.

Harry looked at him carefully for a brief moment, when Mel spoke up softly.

"We didn't trust Remus, when he told us to get back to our dorm," she said slowly. "Something just didn't feel right. So after we had walked for a very short way, we turned back, only to reach you just in time to see Lucius knock you out. Before either of us could do anything the shapeshifter warned him of our presence, and he took our wands."

"How did you get away?" Harry asked, gripping the arms of the chair as he spoke.

"He…he locked us in a storage closet," Mel continued quickly. "Before he closed the door he muttered something to Draco about punishment…"

"For betraying him," Draco piped up bitterly. "I left him to sit in a cell for months and this was my payback."

"I was able to pick the lock," Mel said quietly, "something I'd learned from Jack. But not before…it started…"

"He knew you'd feel whatever I did," Harry said absently. "He knew how much pain you'd be in…"

"Is that why Lucius did all of this?" Sirius asked angrily. "Just to repay his son he used you and Remus…"

"No," Harry interrupted curtly. "There's more…"

Harry continued on quickly, telling them how Lucius was planning on killing Neville, while in the meantime Harry would most likely be killed from Remus' attack, as his connection to the guardian would be severed.

"Do we know where Neville is now?" Sirius asked evenly.

"I was hoping you would," Harry replied, shaking his head slowly. He took a deep breath, before launching into the explanation of Allison coming to save him from the cell, and revealing to him that she was actually Saaneeraa.

"I knew it," Sirius spat, furiously. "I knew something wasn't right about her from the very first…"

"Oh, it gets better," Harry said grimly. Talking as fast as he could, he explained everything he had talked about with Saaneeraa, and all the secrets she'd told him, choosing to leave out only one thing. For the time being, he thought it best not to let Mel know about her bloodline being next in line to bear a Psion…he would talk to her about it later. He finished his story where Saaneeraa decided to go off in search of Neville, and they both ran into Marzia.

"And you were able to stop her?" Sirius asked, looking down at Marzia who was just finishing up with Remus' injuries.

"Barely," Marzia replied curtly. "But it won't last forever…it'll just keep her out of our way for a little while.

Sirius nodded faintly, before glancing at the door which Harry knew led to the guest quarters he'd used so many times that year.

"I can't believe Snape is your true instructor," he said with a mixture of anger and wonderment.

"Neither can I," Harry nodded. "But I wish he were awake right now…if only so I can be told something truthful about the crystals for once. Not that I even have any access to them…" he trailed off.

"What do we do now then?" Mel asked hesitantly.

"We have to find Ron, Hermione and Ginny," Harry said, a determined expression on his face. "If Voldemort has them…" he trailed off, not wanting to think about what he would do to his friends. "We just have to find them."

"We will," Sirius said firmly. "I promise you that…but we're not going out there without a plan."

"What about Snape?" Marzia spoke up suddenly. "We could try to wake him…"

"How?" Harry asked.

"You told us that a phoenix feather will negate the effects of the smoke."

"Right but…"

"And we have Fawkes," Marzia continued, gesturing to the brilliant bird, sitting regally on its perch.

"I know," Harry said. "But Saaneeraa said it would hurt them to just use a feather…that it had to be taken as a potion…"

"I understand that," Marzia nodded. "But right now I really think it's important to have someone who will know about the crystals awake."

"I agree," Sirius said at once. "As much as I'm enjoying all this time without Snape around…I think it's time we woke him up."

"It's going to hurt him…badly," Harry repeated clearly. "And I don't know how long it's going to take.

"Well…there's only one way to find out," Sirius said. Without another word, he turned and headed for the door to the guest quarters. Harry and the others waited in silence as he came back out, levitating Snape in front of him, and set him down gently on the floor.

Fawkes seemed to sense immediately that he was needed for whatever was going on, and flew softly to Sirius' side. Harry slid forward in his seat and gingerly knelt down on the floor beside Snape's still form. Mel sat to his left, while Marzia came around and lowered herself next to Sirius. Malfoy simply stayed where he was on the long couch, while Remus stood slowly. He walked past everyone in the room and stood at Snape's feet, before kneeling down ever so slowly.

"Let's do this," he said quietly. "Maybe with the crystals there will be some way to…to stop the effects…" He trailed off, looking sadly at Harry once more.

"Maybe," Harry nodded softly. He hoped that Remus would come around soon…they would need him when the time came to fight…they would need all the help they could get. And what had happened wasn't his fault.

"Alright there Fawkes," Sirius began cautiously, not accustomed to dealing with the elegant bird. "I just need one of your feathers to touch Severus…" he trailed off as the bird lifted its wing and rested it across Snape's chest. "That was easy," Sirius muttered with a half-smirk, while a thin tendril of black smoke began to curl upwards in the air. It dissipated nearly the instant it was away from Snape's body, for which Harry was glad. He didn't know what they'd do with a room full of the treacherous mist. Glancing over, he saw Remus' face was still drawn in a bleak expression, full of guilt, but he turned away as he heard a noise, only to see Snape was starting to move.

"It's working," Sirius said eagerly, as the smoke coming from Snape's chest grew thicker by the moment. It was piling out into the air furiously, and after several more minutes, Snape's eyes flickered open.

Harry watched as the potion master's expression immediately contorted into one of pain. Snape was squirming on the floor now…trying to move, it seemed. Even though he was conscious he still hadn't regained full use of his arms and legs, but he was desperately trying to use them.

"Calm down Severus…calm down…" Sirius spoke, trying to keep a soothing tone. "It won't last much longer…" he trailed off, in all actuality having no idea if that was a true statement, before looking up at the others and speaking again. "I know it won't be pleasant, but I think we should wake Albus next."

"Will it work though?" Marzia asked quickly. "Hearing Harry explain it…it sounds as if Saaneeraa did something more to him than just fill him with smoke."

"I'm not sure, but I think we have to try," Sirius replied darkly. "If we have any chance of waking him…we need to take it."

Harry jumped back suddenly as Snape's control over his arms returned abruptly, and he swung out viciously at nothing.

"Maybe we should stop this," Mel offered worriedly. "Look at him…he's…"

"We need him," Remus spoke up evenly. "If he can help…in [Iany[/I way…"

Harry opened his mouth to agree with Mel…Snape was obviously in far too much pain, when suddenly the potions master sat up with a jolt, at the exact same moment the door to the office burst forcefully open.

Everyone except Snape was on their feet in a split second, and Harry was horrified to see Fleshcrawlers filling the room. Sirius and Marzia were already throwing curses, as they were the only two with wands, and each blast hit its mark directly…but they were greatly outnumbered.

The seconds that followed passed by in slow motion for Harry. He heard his godfather scream for him to get in the back, get to safety, but he didn't want to leave his friends there. He could see sinew tethers flying through the air, and barely missed getting slammed in the chest with one, tripping over a table as he dodged it. Mel grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him to his feet, agreeing with Sirius and tried to make him follow her. Remus yelled for him to do the same, and Harry let out a frustrated sigh, beginning to turn away, when he caught sight of a bright light glinting off sharp metal. One of the Fleshcrawlers had fired a deadly tether at him, and he didn't have barely a second to think about what was happening before Remus' body knocked into him, falling on top of him limply as they both crashed to the floor.

Harry heard Mel scream and tried to lift his head to tell her he was alright, but Remus was still on top of him.

"Remus…c'mon…" Harry grunted, forcing himself away from his friend, not understanding why he wasn't moving, until his fingers ran through something warm and sticky. Pulling his hand up to his face, his fears were confirmed as they were covered in blood.

[INo, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no… [/I

Was all that ran through his head as he forced himself fully out from under Remus' form, and rolled his friend over onto his back.

"No…" he whispered weakly.

A thick strand of the sinew tether was protruding from Remus chest, blood staining his shirt around it, and running freely to the floor, forming a sticky puddle.

"Remus…Remus please!" Harry cried, tears suddenly running freely down his face as he shook Lupin's limp form in a panic. He could vaguely hear the sounds around him as he was hunched over his wounded friend. Sirius was screaming, and Harry knew by his voice he had seen what had happened. He was cursing vehemently at the Fleshcrawlers while shooting at them in a rage. Draco was yelling to Harry to get up, and Marzia was making her way towards him slowly, making sure not to let anything through as she did so. Mel had simply sunk to her knees in shock, staring at Remus in horror.

"Remus…you have to answer me," Harry pleaded, now pulling Lupin's head towards his chest in a fierce hug. "Please, please answer me!" he cried hoarsely.

"Harry…"

"Remus? You're alive?" Harry asked incredulously upon hearing his friend's voice. He pulled slightly away from his friend and looked down at his barely open eyes, which were straining to focus on him.

"Make sure…Snape knows…" Remus spoke, straining to get the words out as he began to choke violently. Harry shook his head emphatically as his friend spoke, and a trickle of blood began to run down his chin, looking black against his deathly pale skin. He could see the thick liquid staining Lupin's teeth, felt it spray against him as he coughed.

"You're going to be fine," Harry said unsteadily, his tears falling onto Remus' cloak and his hands shaking worse than ever before. "I'm going to get you help," he managed to get out, not having the slightest idea how. But Remus reached up weakly and grabbed Harry's hand, grasping it with so little strength that Harry silently wailed inside.

"Snape," he forced out again, visibly paling even more so, over the energy it was taking just to speak. "Find a way…to stop…my curse…" Remus trailed off, and Harry heard a low gurgling sound in his friend's throat, before his body went entirely still, his eyes staring off at nothing. Remus' hand fell away limply and Harry was filled with a sense of disbelief, unable to hold back from crying as he rocked Remus back and forth in his arms. This couldn't be happening…it couldn't be…

The noise around him suddenly jolted back to reality as Marzia grabbed him by the arm and forced him to his feet.

"You have to get in the back!" she screamed, and Harry could see that Sirius had managed to get up a good-sized shield, but it was beginning to fade, and the creatures were getting through. Without waiting for any reply, Marzia began pulling Harry towards the wall that slid open to the kitchen. She yelled at Draco to get Mel, who was still sitting by Remus' body in shock. When the two Slytherins were in the room, Marzia shoved Harry through, demanding that they not come out for anything, and slamming the wall back into place behind her.

For a long moment, Harry could do nothing except stare at the wall before him in shock. It had all happened so fast, there had been no time to react. He shut his eyes tightly, unable to block out the vision of Remus' ghostly pale face, his unfocused eyes staring back at him. Harry's throat tightened as a lump quickly began to rise, and he forcefully choked it down.

When he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, he turned around with a start, surprising Mel, who stepped back a pace.

"Sorry," he muttered distractedly.

"So am I," she whispered sincerely. "I can't…I can't believe he's…"

"Dead," Harry finished, his voice thick with emotion. He closed his eyes once more, against the rush of tears that threatened to spill over, and turned away. "That tether…was supposed to be for me…"

"Then you should be thankful Remus did what he did," Malfoy spoke up quietly. Harry felt a rush of anger at Draco's comment and spun around to face him.

"Thankful?" Harry spat. "He's dead…because he…"

"Saved you," Draco said quietly. "Yes I was there."

"But he shouldn't have!" Harry yelled. "I wouldn't have died if it had hit me…"

"If Neville's alive," Draco cut in quickly. "Which we don't know for a fact that he is."

Harry just shook his head in anger.

"Look…" he began evenly, "maybe you don't care that someone who you never liked much to begin with just died…but he was my friend! He died because of me!"

"I realize that!" Draco shouted finally, staring straight back at Harry. "Maybe you don't realize the situation we're in here! There are Fleshcrawlers in the next room and they outnumber us about five to one. We don't know if Voldemort is here but we know the death eaters are…and who knows what's going on with the entities! I think you should grieve later and think now!"

Harry and Draco stared evenly at one another, resolute expressions fixed on their faces.

"What can we do though?" Mel spoke up. "None of us have our wands…and there's no way out of here except the way we came in."

"No, there is actually," Harry said quickly. "There's a secret passage that you can take anywhere in Dumbledore's office. I can show you guys where it is and then you can…"

"Wait, wait, wait," Mel interrupted worriedly. "You can show us? You're coming, right?"

"No," Harry replied seriously. "Sirius, Marzia and Snape are still out there, I can't leave until I know they're okay."

"Great idea," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes. "You know what, fine. Do what you want. You're being an idiot by staying though…"

"Oh you mean by not turning and running like a coward?" Harry shot back.

"I mean because everyone that's not on your side is looking for your blood right now, Potter. Do you really want to make it so easy for them?"

Harry glared at Draco for a brief moment, before speaking in a low voice.

"What do you care, Malfoy?"

"I don't know that I do," Draco spoke evenly. "But I do know that I don't want Saaneeraa…or even Voldemort at this point…to gain control over the powers that you have."

"But your dad…" Harry began.

"Thinks I'm a traitor," Draco cut him off sharply. "If he'd still believed I was the defender, he would have killed me earlier today."

Harry looked at Malfoy, feeling suddenly sorry for him, as he realized what he said was most likely true.

"I believe you," he said quietly.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Draco replied, shrugging it off. "He gave me what he thinks is a suitable punishment…and I'm sure if he has another chance he'll do more."

For several moments, no one spoke, and an awkward silence fell over the room. Harry turned away from the other two abruptly, and stepped back towards the secret door in the wall, putting his ear up next to it.

"I can't hear a blasted thing through this," he muttered in annoyance.

"Well, that's a good thing, right?" Mel spoke up, hesitantly. "If we can't hear out…then no one can hear in…"

"I know…you're right," Harry nodded slowly, looking back towards the door, an uncertain expression on his face. "I just wish I knew what was going on…if they're okay out there…"

Forcing himself to turn again towards the other two, Harry began to cross the room once more, when he caught sight of the shocked expressions that suddenly appeared on both Mel and Draco's faces. Their eyes were fixed on something behind him, and he spun around instantly to see what it was.


	28. Chapter 28

"Wormtail!" Harry breathed, his eyes wide with shock. "How did you…where have you…?"

"Hello Harry," Wormtail spoke so softly he could barely be heard. His expression was unreadable, and if he weren't a ghost Harry was quite sure he would be sweating right now. Wormtail's hands were clasped together in front of him, his fingers tapping lightly against his skin in a sporadic pattern.

"Wormtail?" Mel spoke up quietly. "Is this the one you told me about?" she asked, looking from the ghost to Harry, who nodded in reply.

"We should go," Malfoy spoke up suddenly. Harry glanced towards him to see he appeared ready to just take off through the door on the opposite side of the room.

"Wait," Harry said quickly, turning back to face Peter's ghost. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Did you know we were here?"

"I knew," Wormtail nodded, looking apprehensive…as if something were truly bothering him at this moment.

"How long have you been here?" Harry asked, getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I haven't seen you since October."

Wormtail averted his eyes from Harry's gaze quickly, and glanced over his shoulder at the door.

"Harry…let's go," Draco hissed, insistently, starting to back step across the room.

"Yes," Mel spoke up, nodding quickly. "I think we really should…"

"Wait!" Peter said suddenly, holding his hands out in front of him. "Just…just a…a second…" he stammered as his form hovered close to the wall behind him. Without warning he spun around, slamming his fingers into the small space in the wall that served as a lever for the secret door, and shoved it open harshly.

"Wormtail!" Harry cried in shock and anger, as he felt Mel grab his arm suddenly, trying to pull him back.

"I'm sorry," Wormtail whispered, still unable to meet Harry's gaze, before spinning around to the opening before him and yelling out loudly. "Here! They're in here!"

Harry's jaw dropped as he stepped away from Wormtail slowly.

"Come on Potter!" Malfoy's voice called out angrily as he ran up to Harry and grabbed him by the arm. Harry glanced to him, nodding once, before turning to make sure Mel was still at his side, and grabbing her hand. The three spun towards the opposite wall together, only to see the open door slam shut before them.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of dread building within him, Harry turned around slowly. He felt Mel's grip on his hand tighten, and she let out a small gasp, at the sight in front of them.

There were four death eaters standing in the room, Wormtail, cowering behind them, and Lucius Malfoy was front and center. He looked slightly disheveled, Harry noticed, his hair was uncommonly messy, and his clothes were dirty and ripped in some places. Taking a menacing step forward, he glowered darkly at the three students.

"Potter," he drawled slowly, a wicked smile on his lips. "Lord Voldemort wishes to speak with you." Harry glared back at him defiantly, refusing to show the fear that was causing his heart to pound in his chest. Lifting his head slightly, Lucius continued on, addressing the death eaters whose wands were out and aimed at the three students. "You three, get them, we'll bring them downstairs…our master awaits us."

Harry gritted his teeth angrily as Wormtail slipped meekly out of the room and the death eaters came around behind them, holding them at wandpoint and motioning for them to move forward.

"Dad," Draco began, earnestly. "Just listen to me for…"

"You do not speak to me!" Lucius hissed, before continuing, darkly. "And never address me in that way again…you are not my son."

Harry truly felt sorry for Draco in that moment, and could see the pain of his father's words in the Slytherin's eyes. But in the next instant, they seemed empty of emotion, and he spoke evenly.

"Right now I wish I wasn't…but even you, in all your great power, can't change that fact."

"I don't care about blood, boy," Lucius spat. "You betrayed me. You turned away from all that I've given you, all that I've shown you…and all for him…" he trailed off disgustedly, glaring at Harry.

"You would have let me die," Draco said crisply. "If I hadn't done what I did you would have taken us to Voldemort and he would have killed me."

"Which shows that I have a sense of loyalty, and you do not," Lucius snarled, growing impatient. "Any son who would turn in his own father…does not deserve to live."

The two Malfoys looked long and hard at one another and Harry could feel the thick tension in the air, when Lucius abruptly stepped forward, grabbing Draco roughly by his arm and turning towards the door.

"Enough of this!" he hissed angrily. "I will not keep Lord Voldemort waiting any longer…"

He started forward, dragging Draco alongside him and stepped through into Dumbledore's office. The death eaters behind Harry and Mel took their cue, and shoved the two students forward violently, keeping their wands trained on them as they began to walk. Mel's hand was still tightly clasped in Harry's, and she glanced up at him, a fearful expression on her face. He tried to give her a reassuring look, but couldn't.

This was it. They'd lost.

From what Lucius had said, Voldemort was in the school already. Dumbledore was unconscious…or worse, for all they knew. Snape hadn't been woken up in time to find anything out from him…and Remus was dead. Harry was sure they must have Neville, as no one else seemed to know where he was, and that was all Voldemort needed to end this.

He wished fervently that the rush of energy he'd felt when he was in the dungeon would return…he'd use it now, whether he was able to control it or not. But he couldn't feel the crystals' power in the slightest, and didn't know how to call upon it without being in their presence.

The small group crossed through the headmaster's office quickly, and Harry had to turn his head away from the sight of Remus' body, not wanting to let the grief consume him. No matter how hopeless the situation seemed, he couldn't let himself fall apart…not now.

Closer to the entrance, the floor was scattered with the corpses of many Fleshcrawlers, and, to Harry's relief, he did not see Sirius, Marzia or Snape among them. He knew they were most likely taken by the death eaters, but if they'd been killed, their bodies would have been left there, just as Remus' had. Knowing they were alive was all that mattered to him right now.

They seven of them descended the stairs quickly, and were soon moving swiftly through the dark, empty halls.

As the small group walked quickly through the deserted corridors, the pain in Harry's leg began returning in full. The wound hadn't been closed at all, only cleaned…and being made to put so much pressure on it again was beginning to wear on him, however, he was more concerned at this moment, with the walls they were passing, and more specifically…the shadows. They were moving. Not just the shadows of the seven people that were striding along, but the others…that had no business doing anything other than remaining perfectly still. The small flickering of light from candles that lined the hall every few feet were not the cause of the movement either, as it seemed to be following them, shifting about erratically, seeming almost anxious.

Harry was positive it had to be Saaneeraa, and he had to pry his gaze away from the walls. Forcing his eyes to remain focused on what was just ahead of him, he refused to look back. He didn't know what was going to happen when Marzia's curse wore off…if that was even what it did. He only hoped nobody else got hurt.

Feeling Mel give his hand a squeeze, Harry looked down at her, realizing she had noticed his worried expression, and was now gazing at him in concern. He squeezed back, and tried to give her a reassuring look, as they continued on through the halls.

When the group reached the doors to the great hall, Harry was very grateful as Lucius brought them to a stop. His leg was throbbing, and the bandages Marzia had conjured for him began showing the smallest droplets of blood seeping through.

Malfoy pushed the double doors open and quickly strode through, dragging Draco beside him. Harry and Mel followed as well, the death eaters still behind them, into the grand room.

Harry couldn't believe the state of the majestic chamber that he'd spent so many days in. It was in ruins. The four great house tables had been violently shoved to the sides of the room, with such force they were splintered and broken. The windows were cracked and smashed, letting in a freezing draft, which made an eerie howling noise as it swept past.

The house banners that decorated the walls were shredded and torn. Most were barely managing to continue hanging. The only ones that remained untouched, were those of the Slytherin house.

There were no candles or lights anywhere in the great hall, and Harry couldn't distinguish the faces of the countless death eaters that lined the walls and patrolled the doorways. But what worried Harry more than this site, was the familiar coldness that was setting in. There were dementors nearby. He only prayed they did not come any closer…he didn't want to hear his parents screams ever again. And he didn't have his wand to protect himself.

The three students were brought to the left side of the hall, where a group of death eaters stood in a cluster. As they parted, Harry was relieved to see Sirius, Marzia and Snape. They looked tired and beaten…and had most certainly been disarmed…but they were alive. A look of relief spread across Sirius' face as he saw his godson, but his expression quickly became one of hatred, as his eyes fell upon his old nemesis.

Lucius ignored Sirius, however, and let go of Draco, pushing him towards the others, before turning to Harry and Mel.

"Not long now, Potter," he drawled, a smug look on his face. "How does it feel…knowing these are the last moments you have to live?"

"I'll be quite glad to never have to look upon your revolting face again Malfoy," Harry replied evenly, refusing to show any fear to this man.

Lucius stared back at him for a moment, before instantly reaching out and grasping one of Mel's arms, pulling her towards him forcefully and bringing up his wand.

Harry felt his throat tighten, knowing there was nothing he could do…and forced himself to appear calm. He steadied his breathing and glared evenly at Lucius.

"Maybe…you should live just a bit longer…" Malfoy spoke softly, holding Mel close to his body and running his wand down her face as she squirmed. "I would very much enjoy seeing your reaction…to each of your friends' deaths."

"Let her go Lucius," Sirius spoke up darkly, before Harry had a chance to reply. Everyone glanced to where Sirius stood, surrounded by death eaters who were all prepared to attack if they thought he was going to attempt anything.

"I wasn't talking to you, Black," Lucius replied calmly, barely sparing Sirius a glance before turning back to Harry and continuing to speak almost casually. "Do be quiet, won't you? Or your beloved godson will get to see you perish first…and I promise it will not be quick."

"I said," Sirius began again, completely ignoring Lucius' threat, "let her go." He took a measured step forward and the death eaters nearest him immediately raised their wands. Harry gasped silently and shook his head fervently, praying Sirius would just stop. They couldn't let it end like this…there was just no way. They had to stay calm and think.

Marzia could see exactly where Sirius' actions were leading them and she put a firm hand on his arm, pulling him back a pace.

"Not yet," she spoke quietly.

Sirius seemed for a moment as if he were going to ignore her as well, but when he caught sight of the look in her eyes, which mirrored Harry's; he nodded faintly.

"What do you say, Potter?" Lucius spoke up darkly, staring intently at Harry who turned to meet his gaze once more. "Your godfather…or your girlfriend? Who should go first?" He asked, smiling wickedly.

"I won't answer that," Harry replied evenly, clenching his hands into fists as he saw Malfoy tighten his grip on Mel, and he could see her trembling. He wanted to scream at him, to pry his filthy fingers away from her…he wanted to hurt Lucius, or worse, but as his leg shook unsteadily beneath him, and he had nothing to use in the way of a weapon, he merely stood there, waiting.

"Fine," Lucius replied. "Then I'll choose…" he trailed off, running his fingers through Mel's hair now. Harry could feel the anger coursing through him, and was trying hard to contain it, when Lucius abruptly closed his fingers over a clump of Mel's hair, and yanked down hard, causing her to cry out in pain as he raised his wand to her throat. Harry made as if he were going to lunge forward, when suddenly the door at the back of the room slammed open loudly.

Every pair of eyes in the room turned in the direction of the noise, to see several more death eaters slowly enter the room, followed by the ghost of Wormtail, who looked quite terrified…and at long last…Lord Voldemort strode confidently into the great hall.

Harry's scar immediately seared with pain, and he could not prevent himself from raising his hands to clutch it, gritting his teeth. His eyes watered and faint tears began to trickle down his face. Harry only opened his eyes when he heard Lucius Malfoy's quiet laugh, and he glared at the death eater through blurry vision. He was obviously enjoying seeing Harry in this state, and opened his mouth, no doubt to make some snide comment, when Voldemort's high, cold voice filled the room.

"Release that worthless girl, Lucius…we have more important matters to tend to…and I've waited long enough…" he trailed off, setting his dark, wicked gaze upon Harry. "Bring him to me."

Sirius looked as if he were going to try and prevent Malfoy from laying a finger on his godson, but Lucius did as he was told, and let go of Mel, shoving her violently into Sirius, not bothering to watch as both of them fell roughly to the floor, before taking hold of Harry's arm and forcing him towards the dark lord. The group of death eaters formed a loose circle around Harry's friends once more, training their wands on them to assure they didn't try anything else.

Harry felt only dread in the pit of his stomach as Lucius dragged him across the room, bringing him to a halt in front of the tall, dark figure that was Lord Voldemort. His scar was still aching fiercely, and he had to fight to keep his breathing steady, and to not let his fear take over.

"It is time, Harry Potter," Voldemort spoke anxiously, his voice nearly a whisper. "Our battle has been long, and very trying…but today it ends, and I am the victor." Harry inhaled sharply as the penetrating red eyes bore into his own, biting down hard to keep from crying out, as another flash of pain seared through his scar.

"Where are my friends?" Harry spoke darkly, his voice unsteady.

"They're alive," Voldemort replied, his lips curling into a thin smile.

"I want to see them," Harry said, trying to sound forceful, demanding.

"You are in no position to make any requests of me, Potter." Voldemort replied, a pleasant tone to his voice. "However, I had intended to let them witness your end…" he trailed off, turning to one of the nearby death eaters and nodding once. The servant quickly bowed his head, taking a step back and heading for the door that Voldemort had entered through only moments earlier.

Harry watched him go for a moment, before glancing around the room once more. There were too many of them. Death eaters were everywhere, and the dementor's aura was still there…just beyond his reach, for which he was glad. He knew Voldemort could never allow them to use their deadly kiss on him if he wanted to claim Harry's powers, but he could torture him with the sounds of his parents' screams, and that was something he wished to never experience again.

Shaking the thought from his head, Harry turned his gaze slowly, and his eyes fell upon the nervous form of Wormtail's ghost.

Voldemort laughed quietly as he noticed where Harry's eyes were focused.

"Missed your new friend, did you?" he asked tauntingly, before his voice became dark and serious. "Wormtail is mine. He has always been mine. And had it not been for your stupid actions last summer, he never would have been forced to help you in his new form."

"He was never my friend," Harry spat in disgust, glaring hatefully at Wormtail. "I was much happier when he stopped showing up…"

"I'd imagine," Voldemort spoke quietly, a faint smirk on his face. "He told me all about what happened while he was here. Both while you knew of his presence, and while you did not."

Harry stared at Voldemort for a brief moment, before realizing what he'd just said.

"You…you had him spying…didn't you?" he asked, knowing that had to be the answer.

"Of course I did!" Voldemort hissed, suddenly angry. "Especially after the incident with that girl…the supposed defender. I knew for certain on that particular night, that Saaneeraa was keeping something from me. I had Wormtail at the school prior to that night as it was, but when the defender turned out to be a hoax, I had him concentrate on finding out exactly what it was she was trying to keep hidden. It was increasingly difficult, however, as she was easily able to sense his presence. The lies to you about Lucius' traitor son being the link that has to be severed in order to end your life, was most likely so you would not inadvertently say the true name in front of Wormtail."

"Well if you couldn't get any information," Harry began, "then why keep sending him back?"

"I never said I couldn't get information," Voldemort spoke quickly. "He was most helpful in returning the bottle to you after you'd so neatly disposed of it. He is also the reason I knew when you'd be making your short visit with your relations, though that turned out much worse than I'd hoped…" he trailed off, suddenly looking curiously at Harry.

"Where is our scheming friend, anyway?" he asked, a sly smile crossing his face. "I haven't seen her…or any of her abysmal servants, since I arrived. I have yet to thank her for all of her…help."

Harry started to shake his head, not sure exactly how to answer, and wondering why Voldemort seemed so confident when it came to facing Saaneeraa, but was distracted as the door at the back was flung open roughly. The death eater from before stalked back into the great hall, followed by Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville. Several more death eaters were just behind them, and at first Harry was so glad to see his friends alive and well, that he didn't notice the last two death eaters in line were holding something between them. As his eyes grazed past them, he did a double take, realizing what it was.

The trunk that contained the crystals.

Harry looked at his friends, who were brought to a halt several feet to his right, as Voldemort was instructing the death eaters to set the trunk down just beside him. Ron was looking back at him, hopelessness and defeat in his eyes. Harry could see both Hermione and Ginny were crying faintly, and Ron did his best to comfort them, while Neville appeared nearly frozen with fear.

"Now," Voldemort spoke, arrogantly, "let us waste no further time. Bring me the guardian."

Harry felt his body tense up, as the death eaters near his housemates grabbed Neville roughly, forcing him forward as he struggled against them. Ron and Hermione both looked as if they might try to stop them, but the other death eaters trained their wands on the students, and they had no choice but to watch.

"Wait," Harry spoke shakily, trying to drive down the fear rising within him. Neville was pushed to the center of the room, barely two feet from Harry, and Voldemort moved slowly towards him.

"I've been looking for you for quite some time now…Neville Longbottom," he spoke icily. "Saaneeraa did a splendid job in keeping you a secret, but it was all in vain."

"Don't…don't do this," Harry spoke, his voice echoing back weakly in his ears. He was looking from Neville's scared expression to Voldemort's triumphant one.

"Don't waste your breath, Harry," Voldemort spoke, sneering at him. "I have waited far too long for this moment. I know that Saaneeraa has been preparing you so she could take control of your powers…and I knew her plan was to take effect today. Unfortunately for her, she will be absent for the ceremony, and I will become more powerful than any wizard in existence!"

Harry shook his head slowly, wishing he could just concentrate for a minute…they needed a way out of this and they needed it now. He could vaguely hear his godfather's voice…and knew he was yelling something to Voldemort, but he couldn't make it out. He'd begun to hear a small tinny voice, so diminutive it was tickling his ears, but it was far too unclear for him to understand what it was saying.

His brow knitted stressfully as he tried to listen, but his attention was pulled away almost immediately as Voldemort let out a high cruel laugh. He glanced up to see the dark lord turning away from his godfather, who had a hateful expression on his face. Harry could only guess he'd made some attempt at intimidating Voldemort, in an effort to stop him from what he was doing, and Voldemort, of course, would see it as an empty threat. All of his friends looked as apprehensive and scared as Harry himself felt…and the fact that he had no way to change the situation scared him above all else.

As Voldemort drew out his wand and aimed it directly at Neville, he heard his friend inhale sharply and slam his eyes shut. Harry watched, disbelief washing over him fully, as he heard the dark lord speak the two most feared words in the wizarding world. As Neville's lifeless body began to fall backwards from the impact of the curse, Harry could only stare, and as it collided harshly with the cold, stone floor, arms flinging out to its sides, he stood by, gaping at his friend.

He heard Ginny and Hermione crying, and could hear shouts coming from the other side of the room as well. His friends were in an uproar over what had just happened, and all Harry could do was stare at Neville's still body. As Voldemort finally shouted something that silenced the room at once, Harry finally looked up, meeting the harsh, red eyes. He couldn't…he wouldn't…watch another death happen right in front of him.

"We're almost done," Voldemort said darkly.

"You're going to pay," Harry said, his voice entirely steady, ignoring the comment. "I promise you."

"I grow tired of these empty threats," Voldemort spoke, a deadly edge to his quiet voice. "You are powerless to stop me…and you will do as I command!"

Harry could hear the tinny voice in his head slightly clearer now, but as he began to strain his ears, in an effort to make out the words, Voldemort spoke again.

"Come forward now, Harry Potter," he demanded, a cruel expression on his face, "Come forward and unlock the chest which contains the Psicrystals."

Harry remained perfectly still, glaring defiantly at the dark lord. A mix of emotions was twirling within him. Anger for Neville, grief for Remus, and fear…for what was still to come.

"Bring him here," Voldemort spoke, sounding annoyed.

Two death eaters took hold of Harry's arms and forced him forward, past Neville's lifeless body and bringing him to a halt just beside the trunk.

"Now," Voldemort hissed, stepping towards him, and Harry felt the pain in his scar increase so harshly he had to bite down against it. Sweat was forming along his head, running into his eyes, stinging them. "Open it."

"No," he spat angrily. "I won't."

"You will!" Voldemort cried. "Or I will let you watch yet another of your friends die."

Harry glared up at him hatefully, but his insides were twisting sickeningly. He knew Voldemort would do it…

"Maybe that is, in fact, exactly what you need…for motivation," Voldemort spoke, clearly growing impatient; he glanced up at the death eaters nearest Harry's best friends and smiled wickedly. "How about we start with one of the Weasleys?" he drawled.

Harry's jaw dropped in horror as Ron was pulled away from the others and forced over to where both Harry and Voldemort stood. He was thrown to his knees and they held his arms behind him as he struggled to free himself. Harry could again here the cries of his friends, the shouting…but he wasn't truly listening. He had shifted his gaze to the trunk…knowing it was his only chance…

Without a second thought Harry dropped to the floor, while Voldemort was looking at Ron, he had a moment's distraction. He lowered his eye to the keyhole, feeling the familiar rush of energy as it sprang open, and the lid began to rise slowly. Thrusting his hand forward, Harry intended to take all the crystals quickly, before anyone could stop him, but hesitated, feeling a sense of defeat wash over him at what he saw.

The courage crystal wasn't there. He'd forgotten Lucius had taken it from him earlier. Before he had a chance to think, he heard Voldemort's angry cries and felt rough hands grab him once more, as he was forced to his feet.

"That was a very stupid thing to do, Harry," Voldemort spoke icily, glowering darkly at him as he struggled in vain to free his arms. He'd been so close…

The only good thing that had come from it, however, was Voldemort now seemed quite uninterested in Ron, as he turned his greedy red eyes upon the crystals.

"Lucius," the dark lord spoke crisply, not sparing the death eater even the smallest glance. "Give me the last stone."

Malfoy nodded, throwing Harry a smug look as he rushed forward obediently, drawing the crystal out of his cloak and handing it to his master. Harry cringed as he watched Voldemort turn the gem over in his hand, feeling all hope was lost. The voice that had been constantly twittering away was getting no clearer, and Voldemort had what he wanted. All that was left…was for Harry to die.

Everyone seemed to be frozen in place, as the room watched the dark lord in silence. Even Harry's friends, who had been shouting relentlessly since Voldemort's arrival, seemed to have given up. Harry knew they were defeated…and he could only pray they would be left alone after he was killed. He was certain, however, that this would most likely not be the case. Voldemort was quite adamant about disposing of all who worked against him, and that certainly included Harry's friends.

He watched in dismay as Voldemort lowered himself down towards the chest, laying the stone gently in its place, and as soon as he did so, Harry felt a jolt of energy within him.

They're together; you have to take them now.

Harry's brow furrowed as he heard the familiar voice in his head.

Professor Snape? he thought back, confusedly. Is that you?

No time for explanations Harry! came the anxious reply. You have to do this now!

Harry glanced over his shoulder slowly, leaning his head back to see past the death eater just beside him, and looking to where his godfather and the others were being held. He spotted Snape through the loose circle of men surrounding his friends, staring back at him intently. He looked beyond exhausted and Harry thought he might pass out from the strain he seemed to be placing on himself.

How? he asked. I don't know what to do…

You feel them, don't you? You feel the crystals. They're too close for you not to sense anything.

Professor Snape you don't understand! Harry thought back, fearfully. Allison…Cole…they didn't show me anything! I don't know how to…

Shut up a moment and listen! Snape's voice came, angrily. You have used their power in the past without having control of them. I know you couldn't direct that power in any way, it was far too erratic. It will always put a strain on you to call on them without having possession of them, but if you can do anything…anything at all, that will let you get to them, to take control, then you must do it.

How do I call on them? Harry asked, feeling a fresh burst of panic that he struggled to quash as he saw Voldemort was now turning away from the crystals to face him once more.

You have to concentrate! Do exactly as you did when you were calling on them before, only this time you will not have possession over them.

Harry looked intently at the trunk, his heart racing in his chest, having no idea what to do. If by some miracle he managed to do what Snape was asking of him, what then? He didn't know how to use any of the powers he would have access to, and it could all prove to be nothing more than a futile attempt.

He called out to them in his mind, praying for any response…any at all, when Voldemort began to speak.

"It is time we brought this little gathering to a close," he said eagerly, his red eyes glinting maliciously.

Please just answer me! Harry screamed in his mind at the stones, ignoring Voldemort, knowing he was out of time.

"I don't want to waste any further time," Voldemort continued. Looking at the two death eaters that were still holding Harry, he nodded faintly. "Release him."

The two death eaters obeyed immediately, knowing what their master was going to do, and not wanting to get in the way of the deadly curse. They backed away a short distance, and began watching with the others.

Harry knew Voldemort was still speaking, he could hear the high, cruel voice, but he paid no attention. The crystals were all he cared about right now. He didn't hear his friends crying, or his godfather's shouting, he didn't even notice when Voldemort at last drew his wand from his cloak.

Suddenly, without warning, the air in front of him seemed to be filled with immense heat, and he couldn't see clearly through to where Voldemort stood, less than five feet away. Everyone in the room noticed it, and a few of the death eaters gasped. His friends had gone utterly silent, and one lone voice, the voice of the courage crystal, echoed through his head.

We are finished.

The air before him cleared immediately, and Harry felt a very strange tingling sensation that faded as quickly as it came, before glancing back up.

He heard his friends gasp in horror, as they watched Voldemort raise his wand, slowly. The dark lord seemed almost hesitant for a brief moment, but his features quickly hardened, becoming stony and determined, before speaking darkly.

"Avada Kedavra."

The blast of green light left the tip of the wand instantly, and hit Harry's chest full on, knocking him roughly to the floor.

For a brief moment, no one moved, barely anyone even breathed, as Lucius stepped immediately over to Harry's still form, checking him over quickly before looking up and smiling victoriously.

"He's dead. He's not breathing."

The death eaters in the room were all smiling now, looking almost relieved as Harry's friends erupted in anger and sadness, Sirius was screaming and cursing vehemently as Marzia tried to hold him back, tears streaming down her face. Snape was merely standing perfectly still, a blank expression on his face, while Mel was crying hard, leaning on Draco's shoulder. Across the room, Ron was still on his knees, being held by the two death eaters, staring at Harry's still form in disbelief, while Ginny and Hermione were hugging each other and crying, when suddenly, the dark lord's booming voice filled the hall.

"We are not finished yet," he spoke clearly, before turning eagerly and facing the trunk of crystals. Moving forward, an unreadable expression on his face, the other death eaters snickered, clapping each other on the back and grinning triumphantly, as they watched the dark lord lower himself down to the open chest. Slowly, he began to raise his hand towards the stones.

"Are you sure it's safe, master?" Lucius Malfoy spoke up hesitantly, stepping closer to where Voldemort was kneeling.

"Why wouldn't it be?" the dark lord replied, icily. It was quite obvious he did not want to waste any time.

"We know that Saaneeraa was lying to us…what if there was more to it than just killing Potter?"

"Then I'm about to find out, aren't I?" Voldemort replied crisply. "We also know she was planning on doing just as I am about to." Without waiting another second, Voldemort lowered his hand to the first crystal in line, holding his hand above it.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Lucius spoke again. "How do you call upon…?"

"Shut up!" Voldemort hissed, angrily and Lucius backed up a pace as the flashing red eyes bore into his own. "I will wait no longer, and that is final."

Turning once more to the crystals, the dark lord let his hand hover above the stone closest to him. No one spoke, as he suddenly ran his hand along, above each of the gems, all of them beginning to glow brightly, before shattering into glittering bits. Only he could see as their auras surrounded him, in a whirlwind of radiant colors.

Taking a deep breath, a small grin touching the corner of the dark lord's lips, he lifted his hands to the lid of the trunk, slamming it shut with a resonating bang.

"You're a coward."

Voldemort's head turned to his left, where Ron Weasley was still being held by the death eaters. He had a defiant glare on his face, which was streaked with faint tears, and was staring hatefully at the dark wizard.

"What did you say?" Lucius spoke up sharply, looking menacingly at the redheaded wizard.

"You obviously heard me," Ron spat, lunging forward slightly as he spoke, but unable to move far. "You're all cowards!"

"Ron…don't!" Ginny's voice cried out weakly, filled with fear for her brother.

"Is that so?" Lucius replied darkly, his eyes fixed on Ron's own, before turning and looking down towards his master. "I think it's time we start disposing of Potter's friends…starting with this one."

Voldemort looked evenly up at Lucius, before slowly beginning to stand. He glanced once more at Ron whose jaw was set in determination, and took several steps away, towards Harry's still form.

"Master," Lucius spoke uncertainly, sounding confused. "I thought you…"

"Lucius," Voldemort's voice snarled angrily. "I want you to stop speaking now. I have no interest in your stupid ideas and I will not listen to any more of your nonsense."

"But…my lord…" Lucius stammered, aghast, "you, yourself told me that…"

"I'm telling you now, you fool. Shut your mouth or you will regret it."

Lucius bowed his head, his eyes glinting darkly as he looked at his master, but he made no further reply.

Everyone in the room was now staring curiously at Voldemort, who lowered himself down to his knees beside Harry. The death eaters had begun to murmur questioningly to one another. Something was indeed, very strange here. Most were passing it off, at the moment, to whatever had just happened when the crystals disappeared as their master touched them, but it was quite clear that they were nervous.

Lucius, however, was more than nervous…he was suspicious. The dark lord had never before passed up a chance to eliminate one of his enemies at such an easy opportunity, and had, in-fact, told Lucius that was his plan. It seemed he was not acting as himself.

Malfoy decided abruptly to confront Voldemort, to demand he explain himself, when suddenly the air once again grew intensely hot, and no one could see clearly through the haze that seemed to be centered around the dark lord and Harry's body.

It barely lasted a moment, however, and Lucius immediately started towards Voldemort, a resolute expression on his face, when he came to an abrupt halt.

The dark lord had slumped forward, and sank to the floor, unmoving.

Several minutes passed, an air of fear and panic in the room, and no one was sure what to do. Harry's friends were all staring wordlessly at the two still forms lying closely to one another, not knowing what to expect.

Every jaw dropped a brief moment later, however, when a sudden gasp of air was heard, and Harry immediately sat up. He brought his hands up to his throat, clutching it and literally pushing the oxygen in and out of his lungs as he wheezed loudly. The expression on his face was one of pain, but it didn't last long, and when he was able to breathe on his own, he looked up.

Everyone was staring at him in some form of shock. The death eaters appeared angry…furious, and frightened, while his friends were filled with such relief that their smiles could not have been any larger. He heard several of them cry out his name as he drew himself up, standing slowly. Through all the mix of emotions filling the expressions of every face in the room, there was one question Harry could see lingering in every pair of eyes.

How? How was it that Harry Potter was standing, while Lord Voldemort was now lying motionless on the floor?

"They…he…the switch…" Hermione's voice floated out eerily in the silent hall. Everyone turned to look at her immediately, most having no idea what she'd meant.

"The soul switch," she said louder, a large smile spreading across her face as she gazed at Harry. "You did it, didn't you?"

"I don't care what it is you did," Lucius Malfoy's voice interrupted before Harry could make any reply. "But I'm going to make sure you die for real this time." His eyes were flashing with insane fury and Harry met them evenly.

"No," Harry spoke clearly, shaking his head softly and keeping his gaze locked with Lucius'. The crystals were swirling around him slowly and he could feel their power filling him, flowing through his veins. He still didn't know exactly how to use them, but he felt more than confident he would be able to learn quickly.

"No what?" Lucius sneered as he and several death eaters began encircling Harry, their wands drawn.

"No," Harry repeated evenly, blocking out every other sound in the room, concentrating only on his enemies. "I'm afraid it won't be that easy."

"Let's find out then, shall we?" Lucius snarled, glaring hatefully at Harry. He and the other death eaters were moving around him slowly, regarding him cautiously. It was obvious they still felt quite confident they could win, but after what they had just witnessed, they were somewhat nervous. Voldemort was lying deathly still on the floor, and to all his servants, it was an unnerving sight. If he was truly dead, all that they fought for could come crashing down.

Harry stood his ground, watching as the dark-robed men surrounded him. He would have been terrified, had it not been for the mist of the crystals in the air around him. It had hurt him horribly to perform the switch with Voldemort, so much, in fact, that he could not even breathe when he returned to his own body, but as the crystals had left the dark lord's side and came to his, he felt his lungs fill with air, and any pain he was experiencing ended in an instant. Though standing here now, surrounded by dangerous men who all wanted to see him dead, Harry didn't have any idea what to do.

Professor Snape? Harry thought, praying he could still reply.

I hear you, came Snape's voice, immediately, before continuing on quickly. Listen carefully, you have everything you need to defeat them, don't take time to think about using the crystals and just use them. Their power is slowed if you concentrate too hard, just let it flow. And remember Harry…Neville is dead. If they manage to hit you fatally, you will die.

Harry swallowed hard; wishing Snape hadn't decided to remind him of that at this particular moment, but knew it was for his own safety. He could understand how easy it would be to think yourself immortal with all the power he was feeling at this moment. Forcing himself to steady his breathing, Harry closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting every thought in his head float away, clearing his mind. When he opened his eyes once more, he looked up into the dark glare of Lucius Malfoy.

"Kill the others first," Lucius' voice echoed through the silent hall. "Let him watch his friends die."

Harry had to force himself not to move, to lunge forward at his enemy as several death eaters on both sides of the room took hold of his friends roughly and began dragging them towards Lucius.

"Who to start with…" Malfoy drawled darkly as he glanced at the eight captives. "I personally, would love to start with this one," he snarled, glaring threateningly at his son. "Though Potter here probably wouldn't care too much, so I'll save you for later. No, better to start…with him," he finished, staring wickedly at Sirius.

"You're scum, Malfoy," Sirius spat, clearly wanting to lunge at Lucius but unable to break the hold of the death eaters grasping his arms. "You're lower than dirt, and I should have gotten rid of you long ago. We all knew what you would become, and if James and Remus weren't far better men than I, that's exactly what I would have done. It's because of them that I did no more than a few harmless pranks on you at school."

"I would hardly use the word harmless," Lucius hissed, obviously remembering back to his days at Hogwarts.

"You're alive, aren't you?" Sirius snapped back through clenched teeth.

"Unlike your two friends, who you hold in such high esteem," Lucius sneered. "Consider your death a favor, you'll be joining them soon."

Harry was barely paying attention to the spat between his godfather and Malfoy, he was trying to remain calm and use the crystals. When he'd switched with Voldemort only moments ago, it had all happened so fast he wasn't quite sure what he'd done, but everything was now depending on him at this moment.

As Lucius nodded to the death eater nearest him, Harry barely watched the other man step up in front of his godfather and raise his wand.

Kill him, the resolve crystal spoke harshly. We have no other choice.

We do though, the psychological crystal cut in.

Yes, there are other ways to stop him, the courage crystal added.

Harry listened to the voices flying through his head at such a speed he was amazed that he understood every word they spoke. It was all happening so fast that the death eater preparing to finish off Sirius had yet to begin speaking his curse, when a sudden image came to his mind.

No sooner had the picture come to him than the mist around him began swirling recklessly, and to Harry alone, the room grew amazingly bright. He saw the death eater begin to speak as if in slow motion, but the man was unable to finish as the bright lights filling the air, looking like a million tiny fireflies, surrounded the man, joining together and forming a shroud of flames.

A collective gasp could be heard echoing through the hall, and Harry smirked as the two men holding his godfather released him and stepped back a pace, staring in horror at their cohort, or rather at the blaze surrounding him.

Stepping forward, Harry closed the distance between he and the tall blaze quickly, before leaning close to it, all eyes in the room fixed on him.

"I know you can hear me," he said evenly to the death eater encased in the fire, a dark edge to his tone. "I suggest you don't move, if you want to stay alive. The flames won't touch you unless you try to escape."

He heard the death eater's panicked breathing, despite the crackling of the flames, but felt no pity for him. This man had been about to take his godfather's life, for no other reason than he was ordered to do so. Glancing away from the fire, Harry looked quickly at Sirius, who was smirking at his godson, before turning back to face Lucius Malfoy.

"Let my friends go," Harry said icily.

"No," Lucius hissed immediately. "Your little trick there doesn't scare me in the least."

"Would you like to join him?" Harry asked, nodding at the flames just behind him.

Lucius glared at him darkly before raising his wand at the fire.

"Stinguo!" he yelled out. A blast of water shot from the tip of his wand and splashed against the crackling blaze, before splattering to the floor, and evaporating.

Harry smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as Lucius' eyes widened slightly and quickly narrowed menacingly. He slowly looked over at the rest of the death eaters still holding his friends before speaking to them.

"Let go of my friends now…and give them back their wands."

The death eaters stared back at him uncertainly, no one daring to make a move one way or the other.

"Ignore him!" Lucius yelled harshly. "He is an amateur wizard…we can still defeat him!"

"But Lucius…what of Lord Voldemort?" one of them men spoke quietly.

"Yes, if this boy could defeat him so easily…" another began.

"Your spell had no effect on that fire either!" a third one called.

"We should reconsider…"

"Fools!" Lucius screamed suddenly, spinning around to face them all. "Are you all such cowards? There are over a hundred of us and ONE OF HIM!"

"I'm with you, Lucius," one of the men near the back spoke snidely as he stepped up to his fellow death eater.

"He can't possibly get to all of us at once," another spoke as he came up to Malfoy's other side.

Despite this, however, most of the death eaters still seemed far too nervous and uncertain. Harry knew he had a chance here, but he had to keep them believing they couldn't defeat him.

We need to take action now, the courage crystal spoke.

Kill one of them, the resolve crystal added, eagerly. It will surely convince them.

No! Harry replied severely. I'm not going to take their lives just to prove a point.

The wands, the focus crystal spoke up suddenly. Our friends need their wands.

Harry nodded once, deciding to start right there. He would feel much better about this if his friends could at least protect themselves to some extent. Feeling strongly that Lucius would be the one carrying the wands, he looked to the infuriated death eater immediately. Malfoy was still screaming angrily at some of the less enthusiastic death eaters, and Harry wondered if he might kill them himself, but wiped the thought from his head as he focused on the wands.

Barely half a second passed when suddenly Lucius' robes flew up around him, and just as Harry expected, all the wands he'd been holding sprang out from within his cloak. Harry had to stifle a laugh as the shocked death eater nearly fell over from the unexpected movement. Malfoy looked at the wands in horror as they shot across the room to their rightful owners. Harry's own wand came quickly to him, as did Remus' and Neville's, which he could not allow himself to think about just yet. Pocketing all three quickly, he turned to see his friends, grasping hold of their wands.

The death eaters holding his friends immediately tightened their grips, some trying to pry the wands away from their hands. Sirius, who was the only one free, immediately began fighting to help the others. He freed Marzia first and together they started in on the other death eaters. It was not an incredibly hard task as many seemed not to want to fight at this point, and merely watched the others, worriedly.

"You are still outnumbered, Potter," Lucius hissed, turning away from the scene and glaring at Harry.

"And it seems many of your men don't want to take part in the battle," Harry replied crisply, nodding towards the many death eaters backing away from the fighting. Marzia was attacking the death eaters holding Mel, while Sirius and Ron were closing in on the ones holding Ginny. Draco, Hermione and Snape were doing all they could to keep the rest of the death eaters from closing in on them.

"It's not your friends I care about anyway," Lucius growled through clenched teeth. "You may be able to do some things we can't…but you are not going to win this one."

Harry glanced around at the death eaters that had still remained near enough to him, ready for Lucius' orders, and they finally came. Malfoy glanced up at his men quickly, his eyes flashing with anger, before speaking quietly.

"Hold him."

Harry once again had to force himself not to move as the death eaters began to close in on him. The crystals' haze was swirling around briskly, as he knew without a second thought; exactly what he wanted them to do. Holding his breath, he felt their power building up inside him, and if any of the death eaters had bothered to take a closer look, they would have seen the reflections of the stones in Harry's eyes, and his hair blowing up in the slightest away from his face.

Waiting until he felt the death eaters take his arms, Harry looked up once more at Lucius, smiling almost pleasantly at him, before he unleashed the energy.

The blast that came from Harry was enough to make the air surrounding him visibly ripple and the death eaters nearest him were blown backwards forcefully. He had to stifle a laugh as he watched Lucius' expression become one of horror, his eyes widening in fear and his jaw dropping, just before he was slammed so forcibly in his torso it lifted his feet from the ground and threw him several feet away.

Turning from the amusing sight, Harry looked towards his friends, who were all entirely unharmed by the energy that had only touched the death eaters. They were all glancing around in amazement, staring at the few untouched death eaters that were trying in vain to escape the blast. It was moving much faster than they could run, and in less than a minute from when Harry had released the power, every death eater in the room was lying on the floor, unconscious.

Letting out a long breath, Harry could not even bring himself to step forward. His legs had begun to shake the moment he'd let the relief set in, and he was barely aware of his friends calling out to him.

"Harry, that was amazing!" Ron yelled as he ran up to his friend.

"You saved us!" Ginny cried, excitedly.

"You were wonderful!" Mel smiled, throwing her arms around him fiercely.

"I can't believe it!" Hermione cried happily. "You stopped them all…and you defeated Voldemort!"

Even Draco managed to say something nice as he strode up beside the others.

"Nice job, Potter" he smirked. He glanced away once, towards where his father lay, but turned his gaze quickly.

Harry smiled at his friends tiredly, glancing towards the dark lord's still form with faint apprehension. He hadn't truly believed it would be so easy…and he still didn't. He stood where he was, somewhat hearing what his friends were saying, letting them hug him, but feeling uncertain.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Sirius asked at last, drawing his attention back as the others calmed down. "I'm sure it put a lot of strain on you…doing what you did."

"I'm fine," Harry nodded, mostly meaning it, before glancing to where Snape stood, slightly back from everyone else. "If it hadn't been for Professor Snape though, we'd all be dead. He's the one you should be thanking."

The others all turned immediately to Snape, whose eyes had gone wide with surprise after hearing Harry's words. A light blush rose in his cheeks and he nodded faintly at Harry, who nodded in return.

"What…what did Professor Snape do?" Hermione asked, curiously.

"I'll tell you later," Harry grinned. "I think for now…we should make sure the rest of the school is okay…and get rid of all of them…" he trailed off, nodding at the motionless death eaters.

Sirius nodded, as he, Marzia and Snape all started to turn away to get to work, when Mel gasped suddenly. Everyone froze looking to where she was still standing, one arm around Harry, but her eyes were fixed on something several feet away. Harry turned his gaze slowly, already dreading what he was going to see, and it was exactly as he feared.

Lord Voldemort had not been killed, and was slowly drawing himself up. He straightened his shoulders stiffly, before bringing his gaze to rest upon Harry, a hateful glint in his blood red eyes.

Harry slowly slid away from Mel's grasp and stepped in front of her, protectively. No one spoke for a brief moment, but he could sense all of his friends were ready for whatever may be coming…as ready as they could be, anyway. He glanced sideways as Sirius stepped up beside him; wand raised, and felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. His friends should not be in this…it wasn't their fight. He had no time to worry about that now, however, as his attention was drawn back to the dark lord, who was beginning to speak.

"Did you truly believe that it would be so easy to defeat me?" Voldemort drawled slowly, holding his wand at his side as he spoke.

"I had hoped so," Harry replied through clenched teeth, when suddenly he was hit with a realization. His scar wasn't burning…not in the slightest.

"Give up, Voldemort," Sirius spat, his eyes filled with anger. "We outnumber you…and you have no servants left to save you."

"Don't I?" Voldemort asked, a smug look crossing his face.

Harry glanced around nervously…even with the crystals, he didn't know if he'd be able to protect all of his friends from whatever Voldemort had in store for them.

"Do…does anyone…feel that?" Ginny's small voice spoke up quietly, and Harry recognized immediately what she meant. The cold air that was surrounding them…he'd forgotten about the dementors. Before anyone could make a reply however, the door that Voldemort had come through only a short while ago slammed open, and the dark cloaked beings began streaming in. Sirius, Marzia and Snape immediately stepped forward, shouting to the others to stay back, before beginning to attack the dementors.

Harry started to slip his hand into his pocket, knowing he would need his wand to make a Patronus, when suddenly he felt something seize him forcefully. He glanced down, but saw nothing holding him, as his feet lost their grip on the floor. Unable to stop his movement, Harry was drawn across the room, struggling against the force pulling him. His friends did not fail to notice what was happening to him, but he was taken too quickly. As they began to chase after him, leaving the adults to face the dementors, Harry watched as Ron, who was slightly ahead of the others, seemed to collide with the air, and hit the floor hard.

Hermione and Mel reached him first, and leant down to make sure he was alright, but Harry could see what was going on. Voldemort had brought in the dementors as a deadly diversion for his friends to deal with, and had used the only chance he had to get Harry alone.

"You think you're clever, don't you Potter?" Voldemort asked darkly, as Harry came to an abrupt stop just a few feet from where he stood. He looked up into the dark lord's eyes hatefully and stepped back a few paces as the crystals swirled around him.

"You can't win this one Voldemort," Harry spoke, confidently. "Your men are down and my friends can take care of themselves."

"I think you put too much faith in them," Voldemort said quietly, grinning and nodding towards the others. Harry turned immediately to see the dementors surrounding his friends. Marzia was doing exactly as she had done in Hogsmeade, but there were too many of them, and Sirius and Snape couldn't possibly take them all out with just the two of them producing Patronuses.

"Let them go," Harry said, crisply, staring at them helplessly through the shield. He had to get them out of there. "They have nothing to do with this."

"I let no one go," Voldemort replied. "They chose their side, now they will pay the price. Don't worry though, Potter…you won't be alive long enough to see any of your friends die."

Harry spun back around to face Voldemort, releasing the tension he was feeling and letting his energy flow freely. He felt an intense wave of heat wash over him, before an enormous fireball formed in thin air, and sped towards the dark lord.

Voldemort raised a hand, an amused expression on his face, and before the sweat could even form on his brow, he extinguished the ball of flame into nothing.

"Cute, Potter…" Voldemort spoke, casually, "but I can do that too." As if to prove it, he instantly formed an identical ball of flame in front of him, and sent it speeding at Harry, who let the stones do the work for him. They deflected the flames easily and he looked up to meet Voldemort's stare once more. "You really have no idea how to use your powers, do you?" the dark lord continued.

"I think you should look around you," Harry replied, gesturing to all the unconscious death eaters.

"You defeated a room of fully trained wizards…impressive," Voldemort spoke sardonically. "But they were only trained in the ways of human magic. You will find I know a great deal more than that."

"Is that why you're still alive?" Harry asked quietly. "Is that why the curse didn't kill you?"

"No," Voldemort smiled widely, his thin lips forming an eerie half moon against his pasty face. "That was your own stupid mistake."

"How so?" Harry asked evenly. Voldemort threw his head back and let out a high, cruel laugh, before smiling back at Harry.

"I have gone to great lengths to protect myself…to ensure I live, no matter what. Do you honestly think I would throw any of that away by telling you my secrets?" He shook his head, as if admonishing Harry with his stare, before continuing on, in a deathly serious tone. "You can't kill me Potter. You don't know how. All the power in the world at your precious fingertips, and you have no idea what to do with it."

Harry looked at Voldemort for a long moment. He was right…Harry had no idea how to get rid of him. He could hear his friends shouting to each other behind him as they fought with all they had against the dementors, but could not move his gaze as Voldemort raised his wand.

"This is it, Harry Potter," he snarled. "I'm tired of waiting…and I'm ending this now. Your guardian is dead, and now you will join him."

Harry thought frantically, knowing there was nothing he would be able to do to stop the curse that was surely coming. He looked behind him at the shield, but it would do no good to try and lower it, that would only leave one of his friends open to possibly getting hit should he successfully avoid the curse.

As he turned back around, he saw only the dark tip of Voldemort's black wand, and he heard his words echoing in his head.

You can't kill me Potter. You don't know how.

But he does know how, the resolve crystal spoke, its tone almost eager.

Harry nodded faintly, forcing himself to breath calmly. He felt the crystals' sense his wishes, and unexpectedly he felt as if he were being thrust forward violently, ripped from his own body. Everything was cold and dark for a split second, when suddenly he was bathed in light. He felt the warmth upon him, covering him in its radiance, and kept his eyes shut tightly. Every sound that he'd been hearing only seconds ago was gone, and he was cloaked in silence.

It felt as if he were moving in slow motion, wading through a thick substance that he could not see, and shapes started to form in front of him. They slowly grew clearer, and Harry could make out people all around, in a dark room. He nearly screamed when the room came into full view, however, and he found himself surrounded once again by countless death eaters. But he forced himself to hold in any noise, as he recognized the site.

It was only a short while ago, and Voldemort was standing before his servants, Harry only a few feet from him. Neville was still alive, but looking quite terrified, and Harry knew in that moment he'd been successful.

What he was seeing was a memory…he was inside Voldemort's mind.

We have to go back further, the psychological crystal spoke calmly.

How? Harry asked. He wasn't even sure how exactly he'd gotten into Voldemort's mind, just that the crystals had brought him here.

We're not in his mind…not physically, the memory crystal spoke up. We're still standing where we have been for the past few moments. Voldemort is remaining still as well.

Can he kill us? Harry asked suddenly, feeling a wave of panic. I mean…if we're both still exactly where we were.

Don't worry, the courage crystal replied. He can't move at the moment, not while we're in his mind. He will try to fight us, however…so we must be quick.

But what if someone touches us? The fear crystal asked, and Harry had the distinct impression the stone already knew the answer.

The hold is broken, the meticulous crystal replied firmly, and we will be pulled out of Voldemort's mind.

Will it be hard to get back in? Harry asked as the room suddenly went bright again.

We wouldn't be able to do it anytime soon, the psychological crystal answered. It will be a long while before we can re-enter his mind.

Then this is it, Harry thought as the light once again dimmed. Our last chance. He blinked several times to clear his vision, before turning to look at his surroundings, and gasping.

They were back in the graveyard, just after Voldemort had been reborn. He could see death eaters everywhere, encircling both Voldemort and himself, as the dark lord raised his wand. Harry squinted his eyes shut, remembering the pain all too clearly, as the light filled the air once more. The crystals were moving him gradually back in time through Voldemort's memory; to find anything they could on how to defeat him.

The light dimmed again, and another familiar sight met Harry's eyes, but this one didn't last more than a second. He saw himself in the chamber that held the Mirror of Erised with Professor Quirrell just beside him, when suddenly the vision was shrouded by the brightness that once again filled the room. The light went down again, he caught a glimpse of what looked like a cave surrounded by dead land, the next vision was much the same, the one following, however, Harry caught a glimpse of someone he immediately recognized as his mother, and he demanded the crystals to stop.

It's just a memory, the resolve crystal spoke firmly. We have to keep moving.

But…

There's nothing we can do here, the stone spoke again.

Harry nodded stiffly as the lights grew brighter once more, knowing they were right and that they didn't have time to waste. It was best that he didn't view that particular memory anyway, as he already knew how it would turn out. He barely noticed as the memory crystal tried to speak, eagerly, when he felt a cold pressure closing in on him. He could actually feel a strain on his movement now. Voldemort was fighting against Harry's intrusion.

They flashed through several more memories that Harry did not recognize in the least, but he had to cringe away at the sight. Voldemort had truly loved to torture anyone who stood against him, and even in the brief flashes he was seeing, Harry felt sickened by what he was doing to his helpless victims.

As they continued on through, faster and faster, Harry saw Voldemort transform before him through his memories…back into the young boy he recognized from his second year…Tom Riddle. He could no longer make out any words, but he could see the jet-black hair, and the penetrating blue eyes. He strained to catch anything as the crystals pulled him further and further back, but Voldemort was becoming too strong, and was quickly regaining control of his own mind.

Suddenly, a low hum filled the air, and Harry looked around, feeling both nervous and anxious. He could see the images before him slowing down, but was barely paying attention anymore, as the sound grew steadily louder. In seconds it reached such a glaringly high pitch, that Harry clapped his hands over his ears in protest, but was unable to block out the noise, when he suddenly realized what it was.

It was the sound of someone's tortured screaming.

Not just someone, the meticulous crystal said loudly, Voldemort.

We are out of time, the psychological crystal cried darkly.

Harry could feel a wave of fear threatening to consume him, but pushed it back. They'd found nothing…nothing at all that would help them defeat the dark lord.

Trying to fight against the invisible force that was pushing him away, Harry was determined to find what they'd come for…when suddenly he felt a sudden jolt run sharply up his spine. It was followed immediately by another…and another…and Harry could feel himself being torn from Voldemort's mind. For a split second, he was once again surrounded by the cold darkness, before the warmth blanketed him once more, and he knew he was back in his own mind.

What happened? He asked quickly, but he got his reply before any of the crystals could answer. He was on the floor, and tried to scramble to regain his footing, but could not. There were dark tendrils of shadow that had coiled around his arms and legs…and were pulling him towards a most unnatural seeming shadow on the wall.

Harry clenched his teeth, fighting with all of his strength and wanting to kick himself for his stupidity. With all that had been happening…he'd forgotten about Saaneeraa. The shadows pulled him so swiftly he hadn't even the time to look towards his friends…to see if they were alright, before he was at the wall, and was forced through.

Once he was on the opposite side, the shadows released their hold on Harry instantly, and he watched as they retreated, back into the wall. He slowly raised his head, still feeling the pain from having been ripped away from Voldemort's mind and back to his own, when a soft laughter filled the air. Harry recognized the voice before he met the entity's gaze. Saaneeraa.

Slowly rising to his feet, Harry saw the place they were in was nothing but darkness and shadows. The wind was whipping relentlessly, blowing his hair away from his face and pelting him with miniscule pebbles that were caught in its flow. He held a hand up to his face in an effort to shield himself from the strong currents.

"Sorry to interrupt your fun out there," Saaneeraa drawled snidely, "but I grew tired of waiting…"

"Let me go," Harry interrupted curtly. He could see no way out of this place. Even the wall, which he was sure he'd seen when he'd been dragged here, was gone. "I'm not letting Voldemort escape…not this time."

Saaneeraa's eyes flashed with amusement as she laughed darkly.

"I don't think you need to worry about that anymore…" she said lightly, before her tone suddenly hardened as she continued, "and I want my powers now."

"They're my powers…and you'll never get them," Harry spoke calmly, meeting her gaze despite the harsh winds that only seemed to be affecting him.

"Is that so?" Saaneeraa asked, smirking. Harry didn't reply, he stood his ground staring straight back at the entity, when suddenly the shadows around him began to move. Harry felt dread begin to twist in his stomach, as the other five entities emerged from the surrounding darkness, and encircled him threateningly.

"Hello again, Harry," came the familiar layered voice that Harry had heard several times now. He glanced over his shoulder to see Draam standing behind him, his arms crossed over his chest. He realized, of course, why it had sounded so familiar. It was Cole's voice, speaking in over a dozen different octaves at once.

"So, this is the great Harry Potter?" a little girl asked, stepping forward to Harry.

"Don't go near him," Saaneeraa snapped hastily, and the girl recoiled instantly. Harry knew it had to be Fenestraal. As he looked at the others, he recognized the entity that must be Menetor from the description Sirius and Marzia had given him, and while he had never seen the last two, he knew they must be Elri'kah and Rolisch'kah.

"I thought they didn't get along," Harry said crisply, nodding at the entities but looking at Saaneeraa.

"They don't," she replied evenly. "I told you that already. But in my presence they will do as I command. Exactly…as I command."

All we need to do is get rid of her, the focus crystal spoke suddenly. If she's gone, they will destroy each other.

I caught that, thanks, Harry shot back sardonically. The area that I'm a bit fuzzy on is how? How do I get rid of her? I don't know how you kill an entity…let alone the most powerful one of them all.

Then don't kill her, the confidence crystal spoke.

Harry rolled his eyes and vowed that if he made it out of this, he would need to sit down with Snape and the crystals and have a serious talk about communication…

Snape! Harry thought suddenly. Professor Snape, are you there?

"No one can hear you Harry," Saaneeraa spoke contemptuously, "Not in this realm."

"And what realm would this be?" Harry asked, stiffly, trying not to show the fear that was starting to fill him. "Is this the infamous Faerun?"

"No, of course not," Saaneeraa laughed. "Though I wouldn't expect you to recognize this place. Not in its current state, that is."

"Well where are we then?" Harry asked.

The wind stopped whipping at him abruptly and everything went bright for a fleeting second. When the new sight came into view, Harry recognized Dumbledore's office.

"This…this isn't another realm," Harry said, feeling confused.

"From your point of view, I suppose not," Saaneeraa said quickly. "You see your headmaster's office."

"And that's really where we are?" Harry asked.

"No," Saaneeraa replied. "We are inside his head."

Harry could do nothing but stare at her for a moment, open-mouthed, before slowly finding his voice.

"How…why?" he asked, his throat feeling very dry.

"Because I'm going to kill him…and then your death will follow," Saaneeraa said, smiling wickedly.

"I thought you didn't care about anyone else as long as you got your powers," Harry spat hatefully, balling his hands into fists. "Just leave Professor Dumbledore alone!"

"Albus Dumbledore nearly spoiled everything for me," Saaneeraa hissed, hatefully. "I've had to work harder than ever to dodge his suspicions and place the blame elsewhere, and still at the end of it all I had to resort to faking illness to convey his doubts regarding my loyalty. Your friends can live or die, it makes no difference to me, but Dumbledore will die because I want him to," she finished, speaking stiffly, a dark glare fixed on her face.

"I won't let you kill him," Harry said evenly. He could hear the memory crystal whispering in his ear, and while he didn't know if he had the strength to do as it was suggesting, he was determined to either do it, or die trying.

"I highly doubt you could stop me," Saaneeraa smirked. "Draam and I were quite cautious to make sure you knew next to nothing about your powers, even with full control of the crystals you don't know all of their uses."

"But I know a lot more than you thought I would," Harry said confidently. "And I wonder if you really know as much about the crystals as you think you do…"

"If you're thinking of controlling my mind, you can forget it," Saaneeraa spoke, smugly. "It may have been easy for you to take control of Voldemort, but you will find doing the same to me will not be so easy…in fact, it would be quite impossible."

"No," Harry replied quietly, deciding not to wait for Saaneeraa to make the first move. He felt the powers of the crystals begin to fill him once more, racing through his veins and shining through his eyes. "I wasn't planning on doing that at all…"

Saaneeraa's eyes widened as she realized instantly what Harry was doing.

"Stop him!" she yelled angrily at her servants, who all looked alarmed at her sudden change in attitude.

Harry was very aware of the entities advancing on him quickly, but at the same time he knew…he knew…he could not stop what he was trying to do. He had to complete what he'd started, but didn't think there'd be enough time as he watched the dark figures close in…when suddenly he felt a faint tingling fill him entirely, followed by something he'd never felt before.

The crystals' powers were splitting. Harry didn't know how he knew it, but he did. They weren't physically separating, but the aura's around him were literally drawing back half of their energy to focus on the other entities.

Menetor was first to attack. Raising his arm above his head, he cracked his long, black whip against the air, while drawing energy with his free hand. Harry watched from the corner of his eye, as a silver ball of light formed in the entity's hand, and he held it in front of him for a brief moment, before hurtling it at Harry forcefully.

Harry stood his ground, and as the curse sped towards him, the stones instantly moved to intercept it. He watched as the multihued mist swirled in front of him, and in the last second before the silver light would hit him, the haze solidified, and the curse disintegrated on impact.

Menetor growled impatiently and Harry barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief, when both Fenestraal and Rolisch'kah stepped up on either side of him. Fenestraal called upon her power, forming another ball of silver light, identical to Menetor's, while Rolisch'kah produced a deadly black one, with thin currents of electricity running through it. Both curses, however, met the same fate as the first one, extinguishing immediately upon contact with the haze hanging in the air around Harry.

"Enough of this," the large gray entity with sharp horns on his head spoke disgustedly. Harry remembered his name to be Elri'kah. "Magic is not going to defeat a Psion." Without waiting for a reply, the large entity held out his hand, and in the next instant, he was gripping tightly to the hilt of an oversized battle-axe. Smirking wickedly, Elri'kah started forward.

Before Harry had a chance to let the sudden stab of panic he'd felt set in, the crystals' haze was seeping into his right hand. A soft, tingling sensation ran through his fingers as they were drawn together, and his hand became entirely stiff. He watched in amazement as his palm sunk inward, and his entire hand took on a two-dimensional appearance.

Looking up just in time to see Elri'kah heave the great battle-axe over his head, Harry brought up his hand in defense as the sharp end of the axe came crashing down. Harry steeled himself for the pain he was sure would be coming, but it never did, and when he heard a heavy clanging to either side of him, he was shocked to see two halves of the axe lying on the floor, sliced neatly down the center. His fingers had taken on a razor-sharp edge, and the axe was no match for his powers.

The large entity stepped back uncertainly and Harry looked away, shutting his eyes as his hand returned to normal. He wasn't afraid of them sneaking up on him anymore, the crystals were seeing for him at this moment. He could sense everything through them and felt their power spreading out; searching for the next possible attack, while the rest of Harry's energy was devoted to something else. He could feel it building up inside of him, and was praying it would work. He didn't even know if he was doing it right, as he'd only ever heard of it being done, and had never actually seen it happen, but it was his only chance at this moment, and he had to take it.

Sensing someone else now closing in on him, Harry opened his eyes once more, and found himself face to face with Draam, but in the very next instant, the entity vanished.

Harry stood perfectly still, having no idea what to expect as a dark fog began to fill the air around him. He began to feel drowsy, and his knees grew weak, as the murky air became thicker still. The crystals were speaking to him, but everything sounded slow…their voices were deep and slurred.

Harry had no idea what was happening, but he knew he couldn't lose his concentration…he had to finish what he'd started, it was his only way out.

Fighting to stay awake, all he could do was pray the entities wouldn't attack him at this moment, when suddenly he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Looking around ever so slowly, Harry stared at the person now standing beside him, their face swimming in and out of view, as his eyelids grew heavy.

"Harry…can you hear me?" a concerned voice spoke to him, sounding very far away.

"Remus?" Harry asked, feeling beyond confused, "Is that you?"

"Yes," Remus' kind voice replied, as he stepped closer to Harry. "It's me."

"But…but I saw you…I saw you die…" Harry stammered, feeling an almost overwhelming wave of grief wash over him as his throat tightened. He knew something was wrong here, but he couldn't seem to think clearly. The fog was so dense he could barely see a foot in front of him, and the crystals' were barely at a whisper now.

"Yes, you watched me die," Remus said somberly, a somewhat accusing tone to his voice.

Harry felt the impact of his words like a punch in the stomach, unable to look up at his friend as he spoke again.

"I'm sorry," he whispered sincerely as he felt a lump rising in his throat. "If I could have done anything…"

"You're a Psion, aren't you?" Remus interrupted curtly. "You're telling me there's no magic you could have used?"

"I didn't have any control of it!" Harry explained earnestly, his voice shaking. "I would have done anything to save you!" He was slowly letting his grief overcome him, and the exhaustion was almost too much...

"You could have done anything!" Remus spat, suddenly angry. "But you didn't did you? You sat there and let me die…you didn't lift a finger to stop it. It was only when your own precious life was in danger later on that you decided to call upon your powers…I guess I wasn't important enough for you, was I?"

"No…no Remus, I didn't know how!" Harry pleaded with his friend, reaching out to him, wanting to make him understand. "I swear I didn't know…"

"It's because I bit you, isn't it?" Remus cut him off again, a dark glare in his eyes. "You decided to pay me back in your own way, didn't you?"

"No," Harry croaked, shaking his head weakly. "No that's not true…"

"Yes it is true," Remus spat viciously, stepping so close to Harry that their faces were only inches apart. "Don't lie to me Harry, you owe me that much for what you did to me."

Harry was shaking uncontrollably from grief, and could no longer look his friend in the eye. He tried to answer him, to plead with him for understanding, but no sound would come out, as tears began to trickle slowly down his face. He knew it was all his fault that Remus was dead, but if he could have done anything to stop it, even if it had meant sacrificing himself, he would have done it.

"I'm…I'm sorry…" he managed to get out in a small voice.

"You're pathetic," Remus said, glaring disgustedly at Harry. "Look at you, sniveling and begging for my forgiveness. You're not going to get it. I don't forgive you Harry…my life was cut short, and I hold you fully responsible."

Harry couldn't take it anymore. He deserved to die for what he had done to his friend. He fell to his knees and cried into his hands, wishing for it to end…wishing for it all to end.

Harry could barely think through the fog of grief surrounding him, and for a long moment, he didn't even want to. The only thought on his mind was that he didn't deserve to live for all the suffering he had caused his friend. Remus had trusted him, and Harry had let him die. There seemed to be no reason to fight anymore, it would be better if Saaneeraa took him. His friends weren't in danger, not from any of the entities at least. Saaneeraa had told him more than once that she would not harm them if she didn't have to…except…except for…

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry whispered weakly, his hands damp and sweaty from the tears. He didn't know what had made him think of the headmaster at that exact moment, but he was glad it had happened. He had to fight Saaneeraa; she would kill Dumbledore if he didn't stop her.

So get up and finish what we started! the courage crystal's voice screamed at him suddenly, startling Harry. With a sudden rush of energy, the other crystals' voices came rushing back at him as well. Harry raised his eyes slowly, to see Remus smiling down on him darkly, but something about him was different now. The fog in the air was rapidly dissipating and Harry had to blink several times to make sure what he was seeing was correct. Remus was flickering in and out of view, and each time he was gone completely, someone else took his place.

"Draam," Harry hissed darkly, recognizing who it was at last, and suddenly everything clicked into place. The fog was gone completely and Harry felt a rage building within him for what the entity had done to him, and to his friend's memory.

Saaneeraa! the focus crystal shouted hurriedly. We have to finish what we started.

Harry nodded grimly, feeling the full powers of the crystals once more; they were merging back together to complete what he had started. It felt to him as if hours had gone by since he'd been torn from Voldemort's mind, when, in fact, it couldn't have been more than a few moments.

Saaneeraa, however, had been taking full advantage of the time in which Harry was distracted by the other entities, and as he looked towards her once more, he saw her eyes glowing a blaringly bright white, just before she unleashed the force she had been building up directly at him.

Harry had no time to react as the blast slammed into him so forcefully that the wind was knocked out of him. He didn't know what Saaneeraa had just hit him with, but there was no chance it would be good.

Clutching a hand to his stomach, Harry straightened his back to face the entity head on, but he was having trouble catching his breath. It only took seconds for Harry to realize what was happening. Whatever Saaneeraa had done to him, it was slowly suffocating him.

Gritting his teeth together viciously, sweat running into his eyes; Harry refused to give up now. He didn't care if he died; he had to save Professor Dumbledore. Taking long, forced breaths as his throat tightened painfully, Harry decided it was now or never. He took a mental hold over the power the crystals' had been building up, and pushed out with his mind.

In a split second, a violet light bubbled out, forming a sphere around Harry with a floor-shaking bang, it was crackling with energy and black electrical currents could be seen streaming through it.

He lifted his gaze to stare darkly into Saaneeraa's eyes, ignoring the anguish as his lungs seared with pain, they were trying to work against the air that he was desperately forcing into them. She stared straight back at him, a smug grin on her face.

"Going somewhere?" she laughed, arrogantly. "Because I doubt a portal will help you very much right now…"

"I'm…not…going…anywhere…" Harry forced himself to say, struggling to breathe as he began to feel light-headed. There was no time left, he had to do this now. The amount of energy it had taken to create this portal had been enormous, but his strength was not spent yet. Calling out through the barrier, he sent out an invisible grip with his mind, and seized hold of an unsuspecting Saaneeraa.

Crying out in rage, the entity struggled against his grasp, and Harry had to fight to keep his hold. He had to bring her towards him…he had no other choice.

The other entities, seeing their master in trouble, began to attack him at once, but their curses had no effect on the barrier the portal had created around him. The magic used to create it was far too powerful.

Harry stepped up to the edge of the portal as he drew Saaneeraa nearer, and was about to pull her through, when he was suddenly struck by a new idea.

Feeling sick and weak from lack of oxygen, his vision beginning to blur, Harry reached a shaky hand up to the edge of the portal, and forced Saaneeraa to do the same. The other entities had abandoned their attempts at attacking him and were now working on freeing their master, but once again, Harry's magic was too strong. No matter how they tried, they could not even get close enough to touch her struggling form. Harry could see her…could feel her…trying to draw on her own powers repeatedly, only to have her attempts squashed by his hold over her.

Their hands hovered on opposite sides of the thick barrier for a fleeting second, when Harry slowly brought the tips of his fingers forward, and plunged them into the gooey, violet wall. Feeling the cool gelatinous texture of the barrier sliding smoothly against his skin, it took less than a minute for Harry to reach its edge, though to him it felt like an hour, and he was sure he would pass out if he took much longer, as black spots danced in front of his eyes. With a swift thrust, he pulled Saaneeraa's own hand towards him, ignoring her vehement swearing as her fingers made contact with the portal, and immediately after, with his hand.

What happened next was unlike anything Harry had ever experienced. He could literally feel her being, her life, draining from her body and pouring into his own. His lungs filled with air in an instant and his strength returned in full. As he looked through the portal, he could see Saaneeraa's face clearly, and it seemed to age at a most rapid pace. Her skin started to droop and sag, wrinkles setting firmly into place under her eyes, at the corners of her mouth and across her forehead. She gasped in what could only have been pain from the sudden shock of her life force being ripped away, and Harry pulled his hand back abruptly.

He didn't know why, but he just couldn't kill her. Stepping back, away from the portal wall once more, Harry tightened his invisible grasp on the now weak and quivering entity, and pulled her through the thick barrier. He released his hold on her and glared down on her small form in hatred.

"You're going back to Faerun," he said evenly, narrowing his eyes as she slowly lifted her gaze and glared up at him. "And you're never leaving again," he finished icily.

"You haven't won this, Psion," Saaneeraa spat, too weak to do anything more than stare up at him. "You should kill me while you have the chance, or I swear I will kill you…and next time, you will not be my only target."

Harry looked down at her in disgust, and shook his head slowly.

"There won't be a next time," he said coldly. Before she could utter a word in reply, Harry turned his gaze on the five remaining entities, trying in vain to break through the portal using their magic. He again sent out the wave of energy, grasping hold of the other entities and pulling them towards him. Stepping back slowly, he knew he couldn't remain inside the portal while they were there as well, for he could feel that the energy he was using to do this was taking a lot out of him and he didn't know how much longer he could hold it; certainly not through another fight. As he reached the inside wall of the portal, the struggling entities were brought to the opposite outer wall, and as Harry stepped through, sliding easily into the gooey barrier, the entities were dragged in.

Stepping out of the portal entirely, Harry turned around quickly, catching a last glimpse of Saaneeraa's weak form, surrounded by her stunned and angry servants, before the barrier began to shrink rapidly. Barely half a second passed, before the violet sphere winked out of Harry's realm of existence, on its way back to Faerun, taking all six entities with it.

Letting out a long, shaky breath, Harry could feel all the power and energy he'd harnessed, to create the portal, fading. He sunk to the floor, unsteadily, his mind still trying to process all that had just happened. He had no idea how he'd been able to come out of this alive…but at the end, he'd felt next to invincible, despite the weakness he was feeling now. The entities, in all their power, hadn't been able to lift a finger against his magic…

He was quickly shaken from his thoughts, however, when the room he was in suddenly grew blindingly bright, and he had to shut his eyes against the glare. Despite the fact that he could no longer see his surroundings, he had a sickening impression that everything was spinning, and his head began to pound from the dizziness. Harry choked down the sickness in his throat, raising a hand to his temple, and trying to block out the stomach-turning sensation, when suddenly the movement stopped…and the lights began to dim…

Blinking slowly, Harry's eyes gradually regained their focus, and he was slightly surprised to see he was sitting on the floor in one of the rooms behind Dumbledore's office.

What happened? he asked, glimpsing the crystals' mist hanging in the air around him as he pushed himself up, beginning to stand. Before they could reply, however, a familiar voice spoke to him.

"That was quite impressive, what you did."

Spinning around abruptly, Harry's eyes fell on one of the beds in the room, to see Dumbledore sitting on the edge of it. He looked very tired and worn, but his eyes were warm, and had that familiar twinkle to them that Harry loved to see.

"Professor Dumbledore!" he cried happily, crossing to the headmaster as he spoke. "Are you alright? I thought Saaneeraa had…"

"I'm fine, Harry, I'm fine," Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Thanks to you."

"Thanks to me?" Harry asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "But…what did I do?"

"There will be time for that later," Dumbledore replied with a grin. "Now, where are the others?"

Harry's heart suddenly skipped a beat in his chest as he inhaled sharply.

"I have to go!" he cried, trying not to panic. "I left them downstairs…the dementors…Voldemort!" Without waiting for any reply, Harry had crossed the room in half a second, and flew through the headmaster's office to the door on the opposite side. He paid no attention to the bodies of the Fleshcrawlers still scattered about, and absolutely refused to turn his head, to where he knew Remus would still be…keeping his eyes firmly in front of him, he descended the stairway quickly and began running as fast as he could through the halls.

He reached the great hall moments later, skidding to a stop in front of the large double doors, before jamming his shoulder into them in an effort to open them quickly, and racing inside. He was quite astonished, however, at the site that met his eyes.

There was absolutely no sign of the dementors…Harry couldn't even feel their presence any more. The death eaters had been rounded up by his friends, and brought to a corner of the room where most of them were still lying, unconscious. The few that were awake seemed to be dazed, and Harry imagined that none of them would still have their wands on them. Nevertheless, Snape and Draco were standing guard over the potentially dangerous men, while the others were several feet away, near a particular spot on the back wall, which Harry was sure must be where he had been pulled through a short while earlier. Sirius and Marzia seemed to be trying some sort of spell on the wall, while Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Mel looked on, anxiously.

Harry took all of this in in a matter of seconds however, before turning his attention to where he had last seen Voldemort. All that was there was a dark, black cloak, lying deathly still in the center of the room. Starting forward, Harry stalked silently across the great hall, stopping only inches from the cloak, before lowering himself down beside it. He glanced up at his friends once more, to see that they were still preoccupied with what they were all doing. None of them had yet noticed his presence. He quickly returned his apprehensive gaze to the cloak, and held out a hesitant hand, before reaching down slowly.

As he grasped hold of the sleek, black material, Harry let out a long breath, which he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, before roughly pulling the fabric away.

Harry felt his jaw drop in that instant, not understanding what his eyes were seeing. He was dimly aware of the voices nearby, and some part of his mind recognized that his friends had spotted him at last, but he did not look up as they came to his side. His eyes were glued to the floor in front of him. The very empty floor in front of him.

Lord Voldemort was gone.

"Harry you're alright!"

"We saw you disappear through the wall!"

"How did you escape?"

"What happened to you?"

"Are you alright?"

Harry was hearing all of his friends' questions rushing at him in their anxiety, but he could only stare at the empty floor in front of him.

"Where is he?" he whispered at last as his friends realized something was bothering him and began to quiet down. "Where is Voldemort?"

"I checked him as soon as the barrier disappeared," Sirius spoke up immediately, kneeling down beside his godson. "He was gone already…I don't know what happened."

"But…but he couldn't have just gotten away!" Harry cried suddenly, glancing randomly around the room as if expecting to find Voldemort hiding in some dark corner, waiting to attack. "He couldn't have apparated out of Hogwarts…and if you checked him as quickly as you say you did…he wouldn't have had time to run for the door, right?" Harry looked up at his godfather, dread settling firmly in his stomach as the older man shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry Harry…" he spoke softly, "I don't have any explanation for you. But you're right in that he had no way to escape without someone seeing him…even if it was only for a moment."

"Or no way to escape that we know of, at least," Marzia added grimly.

Harry sighed inaudibly and shook his head. He couldn't believe it…his chance to finish this seemingly never-ending battle…and now it was passed.

"Maybe…maybe he's dead?" Ginny suggested hopefully as Harry and Sirius stood and faced the others.

"No," Harry shook his head. "I know he isn't dead…"

"You seem very…confident of that," Hermione stated, looking curiously at him.

"I am," Harry nodded grimly. "I don't know how…I just…am."

"I don't care about Voldemort right now," Sirius spoke up gently, resting a firm hand on his godson's shoulder. "All that matters to me is that you're alright…" he trailed off for a brief moment, staring intently into Harry's eyes. "I was so scared that you might be…" he barely whispered, unable to finish the statement, his voice thick with emotion.

Harry could feel his throat tighten upon hearing Sirius' words, and let his godfather pull him forward in a protective embrace. He still hadn't let the full weight of the day's events sink in, and for the time being, still refused to do so, but he welcomed the warmth of his godfather at that moment, he needed it.

As the two pulled back once more, Harry smiled up at Sirius, before turning his gaze on the rest of his friends, just as Ron began to speak.

"What happened then, Harry?" he asked, uncertainly. "We all saw Voldemort pull you away…and you were both very still for a long while…and then something else happened and it looked like you were being forced into that wall over there…" he trailed off gesturing to the spot where Saaneeraa had pulled Harry through…through the wall…and somehow…into Dumbledore's mind.

"Dumbledore," Harry spoke suddenly, remembering the headmaster. "I left him upstairs…"

"What do you mean?" Marzia asked. "He's been up there…we couldn't wake him…"

"No, he's awake," Harry assured her hurriedly. "But I didn't talk to him because…"

"What? How?" Sirius asked, surprised.

"I'm…I'm not sure how," Harry admitted. "But I just left him up there because I thought you all were in trouble…" he trailed off, for a brief second before continuing. "What happened to the dementors anyway? It looked like there were so many of them…"

"We were barely holding them back," Marzia replied quietly. "And it didn't look like we were going to hold them for long…"

"There were just too many of them," Sirius added. "Snape, and I were using the Patronus charm, but it was Marzia who was able to do the most damage…"

"Did you use the smoke again?" Harry interrupted, looking towards her.

"Yes," she replied with a nod.

"But…I thought that killed them," Harry said, confused. "Where…where are the bodies?"

Sirius and Marzia exchanged grim looks, before turning back to face Harry.

"We don't know," Sirius spoke quietly. "Everything seemed to stop when we heard someone screaming…such a horrible, tortured screaming. We saw Voldemort crumple to the floor in pain, and in the next second the dementors, both dead and alive…were gone."

"But…that makes no sense…" Harry muttered, trying to come up with some way that this would be possible, and arriving at no conclusion.

"It doesn't matter now, though…right? You're alive…" Mel spoke up at last, and Harry could see her hanging back from the others the slightest bit. The sight of her made him smile warmly and he immediately stepped forward towards her. She smiled in relief as he took her into a firm embrace, and he could feel her shaking with exhaustion beneath his grasp. Mel wasn't used to the excitement in the way his other friends were, and Harry felt horrible that she'd been dragged into this.

He lifted his gaze slightly, as he felt a soft hand brush his shoulder, to find Ginny standing next to him, smiling thinly. Without any hesitation, Harry reached out with one arm, wrapping Ginny into the hug as well. Ron and Hermione joined the embrace an instant later, and the five of them stood there silently, holding each other, glad to be alive after all that had happened.

Harry didn't know how long they stood there, but when they finally separated, he looked up to see Sirius, Snape and Draco on their way back from across the room. Marzia was doing something near the jumble of death eaters, and seconds later; they were surrounded by a deep crimson barrier. She quickly stepped away, a smug look on her face and followed the others across the room.

"They won't be getting out of there anytime soon," she nodded at Sirius confidently.

"Good, because I don't want any of them escaping," Sirius replied, looking darkly at the shield, and the men held within it. "C'mon," he continued, turning back to face the others. "Let's head upstairs…I want to hear about what happened, Harry…and I want to speak with Dumbledore."

On the way back up to the headmaster's office, Harry retold, as best he could remember, all that had happened since he'd begun his battle with Voldemort. He explained his attempt to look for any way to defeat the dark lord by literally searching his mind for it, and how he was pulled away from Voldemort's psyche by Saaneeraa. After going through how the memory crystal had suggested he use the portal, as he had no idea how to physically defeat the entities, and explaining what he had done to regain some of his strength before finally getting rid of all six entities, they had nearly reached the office.

Sirius was the first to make any response, having several choice words for Draam and how he had used Remus' form to mentally attack Harry, but Marzia put a gentle hand on his arm, silencing him. It would do no good to go any further into what had happened with Remus at this time, as she could see how much it pained Harry just to think about it.

The small group reached the stone gargoyle and ascended the stairs silently, stepping one by one into the headmaster's office. Harry was quite surprised to see the office in much better shape than it had been just a short while earlier. The Fleshcrawlers were gone…and so was Remus. Before anyone could utter a word, however, the door to the back quarters opened slowly, and Dumbledore stepped out into the office, looking calmly at the small group.

"I thought I would be seeing all of you soon," he spoke warmly as he stepped further into the room, smiling at them. "Now why don't you all take a seat…you look positively exhausted."

The seven of them moved towards the chairs obligingly, glad to rest their feet after the long, tiresome day.

"I don't mean for this to sound wrong," Sirius spoke up first once they were all sitting comfortably, "but how is it, Albus, that you are awake?"

Dumbledore chuckled lightly at the question and met Sirius' curious gaze.

"Mr. Potter, is to thank for that," he smiled.

"He told us what happened," Marzia said quickly. "What the entities did…does that have anything to do with this?"

"It has everything to do with it," Dumbledore replied with a nod. "Saaneeraa was only able to keep me unconscious by leaving part of her own aura inside of me…in my mind. I was aware of her presence at all times, but was not strong enough to evict her psyche from my own. A short time ago, I felt a change in her state, and suddenly I could feel the full weight of her presence in my mind. While I could do nothing to prevent her plans, I knew what she was going to do, because her thoughts became my own. When Harry was brought in as well, I was aware of his presence immediately, even though I could not make any contact with him. When he was able to vanquish the entities at last, the force that was holding him inside of me dissipated, and he was forced to withdraw from my mind. As Saaneeraa was no longer present in any form, there was nothing left keeping me in an unconscious state, and I was able to awaken easily."

"So…you heard everything, then?" Harry asked, lowering his gaze and thinking of Remus.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied quietly. "Including what happened to Remus, though I am sure it did not happen in the way that Draam tried to make you believe it did."

"It didn't," Sirius spoke up suddenly, looking intently at his godson, who nodded slowly.

"No…I know he was lying to me," Harry said quickly, not entirely able to shake the guilt from his conscience, but knowing what happened was not his fault. "I don't know why I was suddenly able to stop him though…I couldn't even think straight…" he trailed off, looking up at Dumbledore curiously. "I thought of you though…that's when I was finally able to push his illusion away…you helped me, didn't you?"

"As best I could," Dumbledore nodded grimly. "I could feel all of the pain you were experiencing quite clearly, and I did everything in my power to stop Draam from continuing his torment. I may not have been able to do much, but I still had some control over my own mind," the headmaster smiled, wryly.

"Where is Remus now?" Harry asked quietly.

"I brought his body into one of the back rooms," Dumbledore replied solemnly.

Harry nodded stiffly, once again not letting himself think too hard on his friend's death.

"I know there is more to what happened today than what you've already told me," Dumbledore continued on evenly. "And if you feel you are up to it, I would ask that you please explain to me all that has happened today…"

For what felt like hours, Harry and the others took turns explaining all that had happened. He began with his vision about Mel early that morning, moving quickly through what had happened in the forest, and speaking with both Tytros and Xondis in the Zlam's new lair. Hurrying along, he told of how he and Neville were tricked by the shapeshifter, and Lucius locking both he and Remus in a cell. He didn't spend a great deal of time on what happened in the dungeon, but stopped as Dumbledore held up a hand.

"The injuries on your leg and arm…" he spoke quickly, "those were both done while Remus was a werewolf?"

Harry nodded faintly, having barely felt the pain from the wounds for a while now.

"So you have been infected…" he said, his brow furrowed in thought.

"He didn't do it on purpose," Harry said quietly. "And he wants me to…to look for a cure…using the crystals," he paused, glancing at Snape. "He asked me to ask you for help…"

Snape merely stared back at Harry stiffly, as Dumbledore spoke again.

"Oh I am quite aware that he had no control over his actions," he said sincerely. "Remus would have died before knowingly bringing any harm upon you, Harry. I am most certain of that," he stated confidently, before turning his gaze on Snape. "Severus, do you think there is anything that can be done? You are aware of your role in all of this, I assume?"

Snape nodded stiffly before replying.

"Yes, I've been aware for months now. Though I was unable to tell anyone as they had me under some sort of hold. I knew you were all working to break it, but nothing worked until earlier today…" he paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "As for the bite…I don't know that there's anything to be done…to my knowledge, no Psion has ever been infected with the curse of the werewolf…"

"Then we will have to use the wolfsbane potion, for the time being," Dumbledore replied gravely, before looking once again at Harry and nodding softly.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, please…continue."

Harry returned the nod, glad to stop discussing about what had happened in the dungeon, and started on the talk he'd had with Saaneeraa, just before telling how Marzia had found him. Harry paused there, letting Marzia explain how she had been spying on Voldemort and his followers for quite some time then, and had found her way into the school through the secret passage only after following a group of death eaters in. Apparently the walls to that passageway led straight through to the outside of the school, and any intruders had been using it to sneak in all year long. That also explained why so many of them had been found in the dungeons, as that's where the path began.

"How would they all know about it though?" Hermione asked.

"Wormtail," Harry replied immediately, remembering his first trip through the passage with the map. "When Peter's memory spoke to me through the Marauder's Map…when I went looking for Professor Snape, he told me he used to spend much of his time down that passage. He must have been the one to tell the others about it…before he died…" It was only then that Harry realized he hadn't seen Wormtail's ghost ever since he had performed the soul switch with Voldemort. He'd managed to escape yet again.

Harry could tell by the expressions on his friends' faces that they'd come to the exact same realization, but there was nothing that could be done of it now…and they continued with the explanation.

Not wanting to think about it any longer than he had to, Harry talked as quickly as he could, his throat dry and scratchy, explaining the events that led up to Remus' death, and all that had happened since then. He told the others how Snape had helped him with the crystals just in time for him to perform the soul switch, and only stopped speaking when he reached the point where Voldemort stood up, after seeming dead to anyone around him.

"My scar didn't hurt," Harry said suddenly. "I don't know why…

"Have you felt anything at all from your scar since you realized Voldemort was still alive?" Dumbledore asked.

"Nothing," Harry replied evenly. "No pain or burning…nothing."

"Interesting," the headmaster mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I can only assume it has something to do with the spell you performed, enabling you to switch places with him for those few moments."

"Do you think it's stopped for good then?" Harry asked. "Will I ever be able to sense him with it again?"

"I honestly do not have an answer for you," Dumbledore replied, shaking his head faintly. "I truly hope we never have to find out…"

Harry nodded his sincere agreement, before throwing himself back into the task of explaining the end of the day's events. He told of his failure to find anything that he could believe to be of use in defeating Voldemort while occupying his mind, and as he finished that particular explanation for the second time that day, he came to a relieved stop, sitting back against the chair and taking a deep breath. His friends and the headmaster both knew of all that had happened in his battle against the entities, and so there was no need to go through that explanation again.

It had been the longest day of his life, and all Harry wanted now, was for it to be over.

"Thank you, Harry," Dumbledore said firmly. "I will not ask any more of you tonight as you are in great need of rest and medical attention. Since you've told me the hospital wing is in no fit state to hold any patients, I am going to ask that you remain here, and use the rooms in the back once more. Madam Pomfrey was in Gryffindor tower, yes?" he asked, looking up at Sirius, who nodded once in reply. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had briefly explained that Voldemort had sent his death eaters to come for them, to use against Harry should he need to, and Sirius had asked Madam Pomfrey to remain there along with McGonagall, to look after and tend to the students that had been injured in the attack.

"Very well then," Dumbledore nodded. "I shall go there first, to ask that she pay you all a visit."

"What are we going to do about the death eaters?" Harry asked. "And the ministry…they're all still trapped…and what about…?"

"Harry, don't worry yourself about anything else right now," Dumbledore interrupted gently. "Please do as I ask, go into the back rooms and make yourself comfortable. You are in desperate need of rest and I don't want you putting any further strain on yourself at this time."

Harry nodded weakly, and didn't try to argue any further. He said goodnight to both Sirius and Marzia, who were going to stay with Dumbledore and help him with all that now needed to be done, before he and the other students made their way to the back. They passed through the first room and Harry could see the Chang's limp forms lying stiffly on two of the beds, while a third bed he could see, had someone laying underneath a crisp white sheet. He knew without a doubt, it was Remus, and looked away quickly, as he led the way into the next room.

When they reached one of the larger sleeping quarters, with enough beds that all six of them could stay in the same room, Harry made his way across to the bed in the back corner. There was very little conversation as the students took turns changing into nightclothes, and they each climbed into a bed, silently.

They speculated for a few moments on what Dumbledore would do for the remainder of the school year, not knowing if classes would be able to continue at this point, when their conversation was interrupted by the door opening slowly.

Madam Pomfrey strode purposefully into the room, a grim expression on her face as she headed towards Harry first. She had a small red bag with her that Harry soon realized must have been enchanted, as she was able to pull a great many medicines and potions out of it, far more than should have been able to fit in such a small bag. After going over his wounds carefully and rubbing a deep green gel into them, she handed him a potion, instructing him to drink it all. Harry recognized the contents of the bottle instantly to be the sleeping potion he'd taken on so many occasions, and gratefully downed the liquid in two large gulps. He felt the medicine take effect almost immediately, and his eyelids grew heavy. He barely felt it as Madam Pomfrey reached out gently, removing his glasses from his face and setting them on the bedside table, as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

When next he awoke, a soft breeze was brushing gently against his face and Harry opened his eyes to see the sun shining softly through the window just beside his bed. He sat up slowly, taking his glasses from the bedside table and slipping them on quickly, before pushing the covers back and sliding out of bed.

"Good morning."

Harry looked up sharply; not realizing anyone else had been awake as well, only to find Mel smiling back at him.

"Good morning," he replied quietly, not wanting to disturb the others' rest. "How long have you been up?"

"Only a few minutes," she replied softly. "Those sleeping potions work rather well…I've never had to take one before.

Harry laughed gently, thinking only that there had not even been one year in which he'd attended school at Hogwarts that he hadn't had to take one of Madam Pomfrey's sleeping potions.

"So," Mel continued, sliding out of her bed as well and quietly crossing to where Harry stood. "Are you…are you alright?" she asked hesitantly, her arms crossed over her chest as she shivered slightly. He could see the breeze was a bit chilly for her and wrapped one of his arms around her for warmth, drawing her closer to him.

"I'll be fine," he replied gently, leaning his chin against her soft hair. "I'm always fine…"

"No," Mel said evenly, pulling her head back and looking up at him. "You're not always fine…" she trailed off, searching his eyes for a brief moment before continuing. "But you will be…I know you will be."

He smiled back at her warmly, wishing everything in his life could make him feel as he did in this moment, before leaning his head down and kissing her gently. Mel kissed him back, and he felt her hand slip up around his neck as he deepened the kiss passionately. This was all he cared about right now. He loved Mel…and he knew he'd felt this way for a long time, since before Cho had died even. The truth was, he had loved Cho as well, and she had been the first person in his life for whom he'd harbored any romantic feelings. But despite loving her deeply, he had not been in love with her. With Mel, there was no doubt in his mind, simply being in her company put a smile on his face. His relationship with her was so completely different from what he'd had with Cho, but he didn't think he could find the words to explain it if he were asked to. It wasn't just a feeling or phase; he knew deep down in his soul, he was completely in love with Mel.

Harry pulled away from Mel only when he'd heard the sounds of movement in the room, and realized the others were starting to wake as well. It seemed the sleeping potion lasted just about the same amount of time for everyone. He smiled down at Mel once more, giving her one more brief kiss, before she turned and started back towards her bed. They all needed to get changed, and then they needed to find Dumbledore to see what was going on.

Classes, they were told, would be resuming in two weeks time. The summer holidays would be starting later as a result of this, but there was no other choice. There were certain things that needed to be taken care of before school could resume its normal schedule.

Dumbledore had left early that morning, taking Snape and Sirius with him, leaving Marzia and McGonagall to watch over the school. They had intended to head straight for Azkaban, to see what had to be done in order to free the imprisoned ministry members, only to find they had already been released. From what Harry was later told, they were being held in their cells with no guards, as Voldemort had kept all of his followers with him, and were visited every so often by men who would always keep their faces hidden, that would drop off food and leave. Then suddenly that morning, when they'd awoken, the bars had been unlocked, and the ministers didn't ask any questions. They simply left, filing out of their cells as quickly as possible, and leaving the horrible prison…hopefully forever.

The captured death eaters, Lucius Malfoy included, were taken away from Hogwarts immediately, though Harry and the others were not told where to, only that their crimes would not be taken lightly.

Dumbledore left the ministers to get their own affairs back in order, having his own set of problems to deal with at the school. He assured Harry he would be checking on the ministry again, as soon as things settled down at Hogwarts.

The first order of business, was for Snape to wake the Changs, and having been told from Harry that a phoenix feather was the only way to battle the smoke, it was easy for the potions master to brew a suitable remedy. Both Carol and Russell were quite upset and strained over what had been done to them, but after a long discussion with Dumbledore, in which everything they needed to be told was explained to them, they were placated enough to deal with the headmaster in a civil manner.

The hospital wing was quickly restored to its former state, and Madam Pomfrey sent Marzia out to restock the ingredients that had been damaged beyond repair. Though there was little need for medical attention at this point, as no one in the school was doing much of anything. The students were allowed to do as they'd done all year, stay out of any restricted areas and make sure to be in their common rooms by curfew.

The worst for Harry, however, came when they had to deal with the tragic deaths of three people he'd cared for greatly. He'd never in his life been to a wizard's cemetery, and was not surprised to find it was exactly the same as a muggle one. The only difference was the dirt was lifted using magic, instead of manually shoveling it.

The first funeral he attended was Cho's. Ron, Hermione and Ginny came to pay their respect as well, and Harry was only grateful that the Changs had allowed him to come. They had been so adamant about making certain he was not present at their daughter's funeral, that Harry had honestly expected they would not sway in their decision. But after Dumbledore spoke to them, they graciously apologized for the behavior and said he could come if he so chose to. The service was quite long, and Harry felt a great swelling of sadness as he listened to Cho's parents talk about their only daughter, but he did not cry. He'd cried all he'd had in him for Cho the night he'd found her in his bed, but he knew he would never forget her, she was his first love.

Neville's service was much shorter as his only surviving family was his grandmother. She wept openly on Harry's shoulder, saying how Neville had always talked about him and what a good friend he'd been to him at school, and Harry comforted her all he could. He couldn't help but feel guilty for Neville's passing, knowing that if it hadn't been for him he'd be alive and well…still messing up on his charms, and excelling in herbology. But he also knew he couldn't change what had happened, and all he could do was try to accept it, and move on.

The worst by far, however, was the service held for Remus, and more than half the students at Hogwarts attended. Harry stood with his friends on his left, and Mel, Sirius and Marzia on his right. Dumbledore spoke at great length about Remus, telling stories about him from his youth and days at Hogwarts, all they way through to the noble man he'd become, overcoming certain obstacles and staying loyal to his friends no matter what. Near the end of it all, Harry was overwhelmed with thick emotion, and could not stop from crying, Sirius was much the same and the two of them wept silently for the tragic loss of their friend, who had been taken from them much sooner than anyone had been prepared for.

After what felt like the longest and hardest week of his life, Harry felt a sort of calm settle over him. The people he'd lost had been laid to rest, and all that was left was to move on with life.

Classes resumed, as promised, two weeks after the longest day of Harry's life. Dumbledore took over the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classes, while Snape resumed his lessons as potions master.

Everything settled back into a somewhat normal flow, but no one could possibly forget what had happened. The great hall, which had also been repaired after the attack on the school, had been draped in black banners, much the same as it was after Cedric died. Dumbledore insisted they be left up for the two weeks that class was not in session, but would leave them up no longer after that time. It was good to be reminded of what had happened, but unhealthy to be surrounded by thoughts of death and tragedy for a great length of time. So once classes had resumed, there was simply a moment of silence before each mealtime, in remembrance to those that had lost their lives.

When at last the inevitable came around, the first full moon after Harry having been bitten, Dumbledore insisted he take the wolfsbane potion. He didn't want to chance anything else at this time until they could find out more, and all he wanted right now, was for Harry to have as close to a normal life as possible. He'd asked him to stop using the crystals, which were safely locked up in their trunk, at least until school was complete, and he didn't want Harry to experience the pain of a transformation just yet. So for the three nights of the full moon, Harry made his way down to Snape's office each evening, and obediently drank the potion that would halt the transformation. It never left him with a pleasant feeling, and he would spend each night tossing and turning, his stomach twisting in such a way Harry spent hours feeling he would be sick. But he never was, and each morning he was back to normal, as if nothing had ever happened. He would go along with Dumbledore's wishes for now, but when school was over, he intended to use them as Remus had asked. He would find a cure for the curse of the werewolf.

After seven long, wonderful, terrifying and awe-inspiring years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry could hardly believe it when the last day of classes finally came. He barely realized how quickly time was passing until it was over. Even the N.E.W.T.'s, which Ron had been stressing about non-stop for the last week or so, seemed to fly effortlessly by, and the night finally arrived…the last night he would spend in the Gryffindor tower, in his four-poster bed.

He had spent most of the day, surprisingly, by himself, wandering the halls aimlessly and remembering everything he'd done within these walls since his first day as a student. As it grew later, and he made his way down to dinner, he joined his friends at the Gryffindor table for the last time.

"I can't believe it's really over," Ron said slowly. "We're never going to be students again…"

"Well, I am," Hermione said with a smirk.

"What?" Harry laughed, "You of all people couldn't have failed anything so badly that you'd be left back…"

"We didn't get our result from the N.E.W.T.'s back yet, you never know," Ron said with a smug grin.

"Oh stop it," Hermione rolled her eyes. "I just mean I'm going to continue with schooling…"

"What for?" Harry asked. "And where?"

"There's a university in Wizarding London," Hermione replied. "And I would really like to learn more…specialized skills…"

"Specialized as in what?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Not sure yet," Hermione shrugged with a small grin…I guess I'll figure it out as I go…"

Harry laughed inwardly, thinking he should've guessed that Hermione would of course want to continue on with school, in any form she could find it in. Shaking his head and smiling, he looked up at Ron.

"What about you? Got any plans after you leave here?"

"Not a bloody clue," Ron smiled back widely. "Not to worry though," he added quickly, "I'm sure I'll figure something out over the summer."

"Or your mum will figure something out for you," Harry joked.

"Oh no, not a chance," Ron replied, shaking his head quickly and cringing at the thought. "Alright then, what about you Harry? What are you doing after this?"

"I have…no idea," Harry admitted with a shrug. "We didn't get to finish quidditch this season, not that I'm complaining this time…I don't think I would've been into it if we had. But Sirius said he might look into talking to a few of the managers for the professional teams…maybe set up an interview…who knows. It's all very up in the air right now."

"That'd be so wicked!" Ron exclaimed happily. "Can you imagine? Playing for a real quidditch team…professionally! I bet the Cannons would take you easy…"

"Oh no you don't Weasley," Harry laughed into his milk, setting the glass down and wiping his sleeve against his lips before continuing. "If I do this…it'll be for a real quidditch team…not the Chudley Cannons."

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed indignantly. "The Chudley Cannons are so a real quidditch team! They're just in somewhat of…of a rut…right now…" he trailed off, looking glumly at his plate. Harry could only shake his head and laugh, as he exchanged a knowing look with Hermione. She had to deal with Ron's going on about the Cannons just as often as Harry did, and could feel his pain.

"Harry, could I talk to you for a moment?"

Harry turned around to see Mel coming up behind him and he stood up immediately.

"Yes…definitely," he replied with a smile. "I was actually going to come look for you right after I finished eating…"

"Oh, I'll let you eat then," she said quickly.

"No, no…don't worry." Harry said with a casual wave of his hand. "I'm very much finished. Want to go for a walk?"

Mel nodded, and with a quick wave at Ron and Hermione, the two of them set off into the halls.

"I'm going to live with Jack tomorrow," Mel began gently. "I'm gonna take care of him…until…well until he doesn't need it anymore…" she said quickly.

"That's probably a good idea," Harry nodded. "Then you'll get to spend as much time with him as possible."

"Exactly," Mel said, grinning faintly. "I wanted to ask you a question though…"

"Anything," Harry replied quickly, looking sincerely down at her.

"Would you…would you consider, coming to visit? Even if it's just for a day. I would really like Jack to meet you…"

"I'd be honored," Harry replied, smiling softly at her. "Just tell me when and I'll be on my way."

"Thank you," Mel replied, a relieved smile on her face as the two of them came to a slow halt. She leant up towards him as he bent down and they kissed softly. The two of them continued their walk, and talked for a long while about their memories during their years at school, and the fun things they'd done. But time flew by all too quickly for Harry, and soon enough he was kissing Mel goodnight, leaving her at the entrance to her dorm with the promise of sending her an owl as soon as he got home the next day.

The following morning, Harry could hardly believe the day had finally arrived, as he packed up his things and headed up to the headmaster's office. He had to say goodbye to Ron, Hermione and Ginny in the common room, promising them he'd visit over the summer, as he wasn't taking the Hogwart's express home. He, Sirius and Marzia were going back to their home together.

As Harry reached the headmaster's office, he met his godfather at the gargoyle, and together they lugged all their heavy things up the long, winding stairway. Dumbledore, Harry was somewhat sad to find out, was not there. The ministry had contacted him on urgent business, and now that he didn't have to worry about classes running in session, he had left at his earliest convenience. Sirius assured Harry, however, that the headmaster would definitely be in touch over the summer.

The three of them pulled all of their belongings over to the great stone fireplace, and began piling their trunks just in front of it. One at a time, they each took turns throwing in some floo powder, piling in several belongings and being whisked off into the green flames. Marzia went first, smiling brightly at the others before calling out her destination and disappearing in a swirl of colors. Sirius stepped up next; he tossed in his handful, and quickly tossed in several bags, muttering something about women and packing, before glancing up at Harry and winking.

"See you in a minute."

Harry smiled back, watching as his godfather did the same as Marzia, and vanished in the green flames.

He sighed softly, looking at the flames for a long moment, before finally taking his own handful of floo powder and tossing it in. He pushed his two trunks forward quickly, and took one last longing glance around the office he'd come to know so well, before stepping fully into the flames, and calling out one word.

"Home."

He felt the familiar tugging as he was lifted into the swirl of colors and brightness, on his way to his destination, where his family was waiting for him.


End file.
